The UK’s ongoing commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

As part of the UK’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – the landmark international agreement designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote global security – AWE hosts an annual familiarisation course for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Delivered by AWE’s Arms Control Verification Research Team within Nuclear Threat Reduction on behalf of the UK Government, the course forms part of the UK Member State Support Programme and helps equip IAEA inspectors with the knowledge needed to verify that nuclear programmes around the world remain solely for peaceful purposes.

A unique insight into defence nuclear technologies

In February, AWE welcomed twelve IAEA inspectors to Aldermaston for the week-long programme. The course provides unique insight into activities, equipment and processes that could indicate the development of nuclear weapons; areas that inspectors with experience of civil nuclear applications, such as power generation, may be less familiar with.

Learning from AWE’s experts

Delegates took part in a series of specialist presentations and site visits, gaining first-hand exposure to areas including the history of the UK’s nuclear weapons programme, plutonium and uranium science, criticality awareness, explosive safety, hydrodynamics, warhead engineering, high-performance computing and advanced laser technologies.

The course plays an important role in strengthening the IAEA’s ability to carry out its global verification mission. Feedback from participants has shown that the knowledge and experience gained at AWE directly supports inspectors in assessing nuclear activities around the world and provides valuable practical context for their work in the field.

One participant said:

“Access to AWE’s unique installations provided inspectors with invaluable real-world examples and practical context for in-field verification activities. The opportunity to engage directly with AWE’s experts- many of whom bring decades of experience in specialist technologies- fostered rich and highly productive technical discussions.”

Supporting international verification and security

By sharing expertise and supporting international verification efforts, AWE helps the UK fulfil its commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty whilst strengthening the global verification systems that help prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

To learn more about the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, visit the IAEA website.