Atomic Weapons Research Establishment. Orford ... - English Heritage

Figure 12: WE177A freefall tactical nulcear weapon (c) English Heritage DP068440
proceeded quickly and it is thought that an underground test carried out at the Nevada
Test Site, USA, in October 1965 was conducted to prove its design (Norris et al 1994,
404). One source claims that the design was finalised by spring 1966 and that production
began shortly afterwards (Norris et al 1994, 62). If this was the case, by the time the last
test building was completed, the Centrifuge E1/176, it appears that the Polaris warhead
programme was already at an advanced stage.
Nevertheless, by this date it was noted that nuclear weapons work was ‘beginning to tailoff’
and that other non-nuclear work was being undertaken for the Ministry of Defence
(TNA: PRO AB16/2976 C57 16 Dec 1966; AWRE nd). The WE177 series of weapons
were coming into service and in 1969 responsibility for the United Kingdom’s nuclear
deterrent forces passed from the RAF to the Royal Navy’s Polaris submarine fleet. It also
marked a pause in over 20 years of British nuclear weapons development. The next
main task for AWRE was the hardening of the Polaris warhead to ensure that it could
penetrate Soviet anti-ballistic missile defences. This project, which would eventually
result in the Chevaline warhead, may have come too late to involve any of Orford Ness’
facilities.
During the 1960s, it was also proposed to construct a burning ground to the east of
Laboratory 1 F3/127 (SW/S7823/Site/AL/1). Historic air photographs, however, confirm
that the proposal was not carried out.
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