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Nuñez Angles
5th International Seminar on Security and Defence in the Mediterranean Multi-Dimensional Security Reports (+34) 93 302 6495 - Fax. (+34) 93 302 6495 - [email protected] (+34) 93 302 6495 - Fax. [email protected] Weapons of mass destruction in the Mediterranean: An omnidirectional threat. Jesús A. Núñez Villaverde, Balder Hageraats and Ximena Valente - Calle Elisabets, 12 08001 Barcelona, España Tel. Fundación CIDOB WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: AN OMNIDIRECTIONAL THREAT Jesús A. Núñez Villaverde Co-director of the Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action, IECAH Balder Hageraats Researcher at IECAH Ximena Valente Researcher at IECAH Introduction 1. Similar to the first report, the concept of WMD is used in its general understanding of having the Similarly to the first report on Weapons of mass destruction in the three basic components of nuclear, Mediterranean: current status and prospects, released in 2005, this chemical and biological weapons. In practical terms, however, the main second report (Weapons of mass destruction in the Mediterranean: an focus of this report is on nuclear omnidimensional threat) is the result of an initiative – responding to a weapons given that these are the sustained interest in matters of security and defence in the Mediterranean only ones that true fit the profile of WMD at the moment. - by the CIDOB Foundation. It is therefore fitting to mention the annual seminars on security and defence that are held in Barcelona since 2002. In line with the decision taken at the third of these meetings, the aim of this report is to facilitate – both for those attending the sessions directly as well as the wider security community interested in the region - the analysis of one of the most pressing problems on the international agenda. -
Roy Dommett Interviewed by Dr Thomas Lean
NATIONAL LIFE STORIES AN ORAL HISTORY OF BRITISH SCIENCE Roy Dommett Interviewed by Dr Thomas Lean C1379/14 © The British Library Board http://sounds.bl.uk IMPORTANT This interview and transcript is accessible via http://sounds.bl.uk . © The British Library Board. Please refer to the Oral History curators at the British Library prior to any publication or broadcast from this document. Oral History The British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB United Kingdom +44 (0)20 7412 7404 [email protected] Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this transcript, however no transcript is an exact translation of the spoken word, and this document is intended to be a guide to the original recording, not replace it. Should you find any errors please inform the Oral History curators. © The British Library Board http://sounds.bl.uk The British Library National Life Stories Interview Summary Sheet Title Page Ref no: C1379/14 Collection title: An Oral History Of British Science Interviewee’s Dommett Title: Mr surname: Interviewee’s Roy Sex: Male forename: Occupation: Rocket scientist, Date and place of birth: 25th June 1933 aeronautical engineer. Mother’s occupation: Father’s occupation: Painter and decorator Dates of recording, Compact flash cards used, tracks (from – to): March 18 (1-3), April 13 (4-5), April 20 (6-10), 20 July (11-14), 16 September (15-19) 2010 Location of interview: Interviewee’s home, Fleet. Name of interviewer: Thomas Lean Type of recorder: Marantz PMD661 on secure digital [tracks 1 - 10] and Marantz PMD660 on compact flash [tracks 11 - 19] Recording format : WAV 24 bit 48 kHz (tracks 1 - 10), WAV 16 bit 48 kHz (Tracks 11-19). -
Consequences of an Accident Involving Nuclear Weapons
ThisreportisdedicatedtothememoryofJohn Ainslie, whose persistent and meticulous research exposedmanyoftheaccidentsdescribedhere CONTENTS REPORT HEADLINES 2 FOREWORD 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 INTRODUCTION 8 THE PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 14 CASE STUDY 1: ‘An accident waiting to happen: fire at Windscale .......... 25 ON THE ROAD: ACCIDENTS DURING THE TRANSPORT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 30 CASE STUDY 2: Slipping off the road ............................. 39 STORAGE AND HANDLING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 42 CASE STUDY 3: Rough handling at RAF Bruggen ...................... 46 IN THE FIELD: INCIDENTS INVOLVING AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS 48 CASE STUDY 4: Nuclear weapons and the Falklands War ................ 55 UNDER THE WAVES: ACCIDENTS INVOLVING NUCLEAR-ARMED SUBMARINES 58 CASE STUDY 5: Collision in the ocean depths.........................73 SECRETS AND SPIES: NUCLEAR SECURITY 76 CASE STUDY 6: “We’re hijacking this submarine. Take us to Cuba.” ..........87 OVER HERE: ACCIDENTS INVOLVING US NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE UK 90 CASE STUDY 7: Broken Arrow at Lakenheath......................... 98 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 100 AFTERWORD 103 APPENDIX 104 GLOSSARY 106 REPORT AUTHOR: PETER BURT 1 REPORT HEADLINES Whywedidthisstudy: • The following factors have all contributed to accidents involving British nuclear weapons: This report presents the accident record of the ` Failures caused as equipment reaches UK’s nuclear weapons programme over its 65 the end of its operating life. year history. Our aim in doing this is simple: to remind the public of the risks posed by nuclear ` Equipment in short supply or overused. weapons, and to alert politicians and decision ` Operations hurried or conducted makers to the need to eliminate these risks. under pressure. ` Workers failing to follow even the What we found: strictest instructions and procedures. -
Nuclear Weapons FAQ (NWFAQ) Organization Back to Main Index
Nuclear Weapons FAQ (NWFAQ) Organization Back to Main Index This is a complete listing of the decimally numbered headings of the Nuclear Weapons Frequently Asked Questions, which provides a comprehensive view of the organization and contents of the document. Index 1.0 Types of Nuclear Weapons 1.1 Terminology 1.2 U.S. Nuclear Test Names 1.3 Units of Measurement 1.4 Pure Fission Weapons 1.5 Combined Fission/Fusion Weapons 1.5.1 Boosted Fission Weapons 1.5.2 Staged Radiation Implosion Weapons 1.5.3 The Alarm Clock/Sloika (Layer Cake) Design 1.5.4 Neutron Bombs 1.6 Cobalt Bombs 2.0 Introduction to Nuclear Weapon Physics and Design 2.1 Fission Weapon Physics 2.1.1 The Nature Of The Fission Process 2.1.2 Criticality 2.1.3 Time Scale of the Fission Reaction 2.1.4 Basic Principles of Fission Weapon Design 2.1.4.1 Assembly Techniques - Achieving Supercriticality 2.1.4.1.1 Implosion Assembly 2.1.4.1.2 Gun Assembly 2.1.4.2 Initiating Fission 2.1.4.3 Preventing Disassembly and Increasing Efficiency 2.2 Fusion Weapon Physics 2.2.1 Candidate Fusion Reactions 2.2.2 Basic Principles of Fusion Weapon Design 2.2.2.1 Designs Using the Deuterium+Tritium Reaction 2.2.2.2 Designs Using Other Fuels 3.0 Matter, Energy, and Radiation Hydrodynamics 3.1 Thermodynamics and the Properties of Gases 3.1.1 Kinetic Theory of Gases 3.1.2 Heat, Entropy, and Adiabatic Compression 3.1.3 Thermodynamic Equilibrium and Equipartition 3.1.4 Relaxation 3.1.5 The Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Law 3.1.6 Specific Heats and the Thermodynamic Exponent 3.1.7 Properties of Blackbody -
Ministry of Defence Acronyms and Abbreviations
Acronym Long Title 1ACC No. 1 Air Control Centre 1SL First Sea Lord 200D Second OOD 200W Second 00W 2C Second Customer 2C (CL) Second Customer (Core Leadership) 2C (PM) Second Customer (Pivotal Management) 2CMG Customer 2 Management Group 2IC Second in Command 2Lt Second Lieutenant 2nd PUS Second Permanent Under Secretary of State 2SL Second Sea Lord 2SL/CNH Second Sea Lord Commander in Chief Naval Home Command 3GL Third Generation Language 3IC Third in Command 3PL Third Party Logistics 3PN Third Party Nationals 4C Co‐operation Co‐ordination Communication Control 4GL Fourth Generation Language A&A Alteration & Addition A&A Approval and Authorisation A&AEW Avionics And Air Electronic Warfare A&E Assurance and Evaluations A&ER Ammunition and Explosives Regulations A&F Assessment and Feedback A&RP Activity & Resource Planning A&SD Arms and Service Director A/AS Advanced/Advanced Supplementary A/D conv Analogue/ Digital Conversion A/G Air‐to‐Ground A/G/A Air Ground Air A/R As Required A/S Anti‐Submarine A/S or AS Anti Submarine A/WST Avionic/Weapons, Systems Trainer A3*G Acquisition 3‐Star Group A3I Accelerated Architecture Acquisition Initiative A3P Advanced Avionics Architectures and Packaging AA Acceptance Authority AA Active Adjunct AA Administering Authority AA Administrative Assistant AA Air Adviser AA Air Attache AA Air‐to‐Air AA Alternative Assumption AA Anti‐Aircraft AA Application Administrator AA Area Administrator AA Australian Army AAA Anti‐Aircraft Artillery AAA Automatic Anti‐Aircraft AAAD Airborne Anti‐Armour Defence Acronym -
Innovation Studies and the History of Technology
Trying to secure the past: innovation studies and the history of technology A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Faculty of Humanities Jonathan Aylen 2018 1 Contents page Listing of Publications 3 Abstract 4 Declaration 5 Copyright Statement 5 Jonathan Aylen, Statement of Eligibility 6 Introduction 1. Selection of a coherent set of papers 8 2. Historical methods in the study of technology 23 3. The nature of the innovation process 30 4. Lessons from innovation research 41 5. Bibliography 46 6. Corrections and updates 57 7. Impact of this research 59 Papers Blue Danube - Britain’s post-war atomic bomb 61 Stretch - how innovation continues once investment is made 62 Bloodhound - building the Ferranti Argus process control computer 63 Open versus closed innovation - development of the wide strip mill for steel 64 Construction of the Shotton wide strip mill 65 Development of computer applications in the iron and steel industry 66 2 “Trying to secure the past: innovation studies and the history of technology” "People work much in order to secure the future; I gave my mind much work and trouble, trying to secure the past" Isak Dinesen/also known as Karen von Blixen-Finecke (1885-1962), Shadows on the Grass, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1990, essay “Echoes from the Hills”, p.116 papers: 1. Jonathan Aylen, “First waltz: development and deployment of Blue Danube, Britain’s post-war atomic bomb”, The International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology, vol. 85, no.1, January 2015, pp.31-59 2. -
Defence Industrial Strategy Defence White Paper CM 6697
Defence Industrial Strategy Defence Values for Acquisition This statement of values is intended to shape the behaviour of all those involved in acquisition, including Ministers, Defence Management Board members, customers at all levels, the scrutiny community, project teams in the various delivery organisations and our private sector partners. Everything we do is driven by the Defence Vision: The Defence Vision Defending the United Kingdom and its interests Strengthening international peace and stability A FORCE FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD We achieve this aim by working together on our core task to produce battle-winning people and equipment that are: ¥ Fit for the challenge of today ¥ Ready for the tasks of tomorrow ¥ Capable of building for the future By working together across all the Lines of Development, we will deliver the right equipment and services fi t for the purpose required by the customer, at the right time and the right cost. In delivering this Vision in Acquisition, we all must: ¥ recognise that people are the key to our success; equip them with the right skills, experience and professional qualifi cations; ¥ recognise the best can be the enemy of the very good; distinguish between must have, desirable, and nice to have if aff ordable; ¥ identify trade off s between performance, time and cost; cases for additional resources must off er realistic alternative solutions; ¥ never assume additional resources will be available; cost growth on one project can only mean less for others and for the front line; ¥ understand that time matters; -
(Dis)Continuous Deterrence
SEPTEMBER 2018 (Dis)Continuous Deterrence Challenges to Britain’s Nuclear Doctrine Toby Fenwick © The British American Security Information Council (BASIC), 2018 All images are available for reuse under the MOD (Consent License) and the OGL (Open Government License) unless The British American Security otherwise stated. Information Council (BASIC) 17 Oval Way The opinions expressed in this publication are the responsibility London of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of BASIC. SE11 5RR Charity Registration No. 1001081 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, T: +44 (0) 20 3752 5662 electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or www.basicint.org any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Please direct all enquiries to the publishers. The Author BASIC Toby Fenwick is a Research Associate of BASIC, The British American Security Information Council bringing more than 15 years’ public policy (BASIC) is an independent think tank and registered experience in HM Treasury, UK Cabinet Office, DFID, charity based in Whitehall, London, promoting the UK NAO, and think tanks to his work. He served innovative ideas and international dialogue on for 14 years in the RAF intelligence reserves, nuclear disarmament, arms control, and supporting operations at home and abroad. A nonproliferation. Since 1987, we’ve been at the Liberal Democrat, he served on the party’s most forefront of global efforts to build trust and recent nuclear weapons working group, has written cooperation on some of the world’s most extensively on UK nuclear weapons policy, and progressive global peace and security initiatives, lectured on it at the James Martin Center for advising governments in the United States, United Non-Proliferation Studies in Monterey, California. -
Britain's Pacific H-Bomb Tests
GRAPPLING WITH THE BOMB BRITAIN’S PACIFIC H-BOMB TESTS GRAPPLING WITH THE BOMB BRITAIN’S PACIFIC H-BOMB TESTS NIC MACLELLAN PACIFIC SERIES Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at press.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Creator: Maclellan, Nic, author. Title: Grappling with the bomb : Britain’s Pacific H-bomb tests / Nicholas Maclellan. ISBN: 9781760461379 (paperback) 9781760461386 (ebook) Subjects: Operation Grapple, Kiribati, 1956-1958. Nuclear weapons--Great Britain--Testing. Hydrogen bomb--Great Britain--Testing. Nuclear weapons--Testing--Oceania. Hydrogen bomb--Testing--Oceania. Nuclear weapons testing victims--Oceania. Pacific Islanders--Health and hygiene--Oceania. Nuclear explosions--Environmental aspects--Oceania. Nuclear weapons--Testing--Environmental aspects--Oceania. Great Britain--Military policy. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU Press. Cover image: Adapted from photo of Grapple nuclear test. Source: Adi Sivo Ganilau. This edition © 2017 ANU Press Contents List of illustrations . vii Timeline and glossary . xi Maps . xxiii Introduction . 1 1 . The leader—Sir Winston Churchill . .19 2 . The survivors—Lemeyo Abon and Rinok Riklon . 39 3 . The fisherman—Matashichi Oishi . 55 4 . The Task Force Commander—Wilfred Oulton . 69 5 . The businessman—James Burns . 81 6 . The pacifist—Harold Steele . 91 Interlude—On radiation, safety and secrecy . 105 7 . The Chief Petty Officer—Ratu Inoke Bainimarama . -
The Development of Britain's Megaton Warheads
Megaton Warheads Donald McIntyre Military Studies The Development of Britain’s Megaton Warheads Donald McIntyre MA Dissertation 2006 Megaton Warheads Donald McIntyre Contents Abstract Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 1 2 British Nuclear Policy 6 3 Development of Thermonuclear Warheads 17 4 Anglo-American Relations 36 5 Thermonuclear Bluff? 48 6 Conclusions 56 Table: Operational Requirements Figure: The Megaton Family Bibliography Appendix A: Nuclear Weapons Appendix B: A Pedantic Glossary Appendix C: Speculative Schematics Megaton Warheads Donald McIntyre Abstract In 1946, the US Senate passed the McMahon Act, which prohibited the sharing of nuclear information with any other country. Prime Minister Churchill announced the intention to build a hydrogen bomb in February 1955, though development had started at AWRE Aldermaston the year before. In the summer of 1957, three large devices were exploded near Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean; the series was code named Grapple . The official announcement stated that the devices were “in the megaton range”; the press was in no doubt that Britain had exploded an H-bomb. The following year, talks commenced with America and in June 1958 the McMahon Act was amended to allow exchange of nuclear information between the USA and UK. The result was that Britain had access to American thermonuclear weapon design; future British warheads were built largely to American designs. At the time, very little information was released on the nature of the Grapple tests and this led to speculation that they were not thermonuclear devices at all, but large fission weapons. These suspicions were articulated in 1982 as the “Thermonuclear Bluff”. This proposed that the prime purpose of the tests was to deceive the Americans into believing that the UK had mastered the H-bomb and was therefore fit to be admitted into the thermonuclear club. -
UK High Court Ruling on Health Effects of Nuclear
Neutral Citation Number: [2009] EWHC 1225 (QB) Case No: TLQ/08/0023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION Royal Courts of Justice Strand, London, WC2A 2LL Date: 05/06/2009 Before: MR JUSTICE FOSKETT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Between: AB & Others Claimants - and - Ministry of Defence Defendants - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Benjamin Browne QC and Catherine Foster & Mark James (instructed by Rosenblatt Solicitors) for the Claimants Charles Gibson QC and Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC, David Evans & Adam Heppinstall (instructed by Treasury Solicitors) for the Defendants Hearing dates: 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th January and 4th, 5th, and 6th February 2009 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Judgment CONTENTS OF JUDGMENT Section Item Para 1 The Issue 1-11 2 The historical context 12-29 3 The relevant nuclear tests 30-36 4 The men who went to the tests and the scale of the operations 37-45 5 The commencement of these proceedings and the broad nature of the limitation issues 46-55 6 The essential case that the Claimants seek to advance 56-87 7 The Defendant’s essential response to the Claimants’ case 88-91 8 The evidence underlying these proceedings 92-98 9 Breach of duty and causation – a general observation on the law 99-101 10 The correct approach to the Lead Cases 102-104 105-106 11 The underlying science – 108-110 A. The essential nuclear physics – ionising radiation 111-113 114-115 (i) Atoms 116-119 (ii) Elements 120-122 (iii) Isotopes 123-131 (iv) Half-life 132-143 (v) Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion 144-147 (vi) The types and effects of ionising radiation 148-150 (vii) Fall-out (viii) Doses (ix) Ionising radiation from other sources 151-158 B. -
Playing with Fire
CONTENTS REPORT HEADLINES 2 FOREWORD 4 This report is dedicated to the memory of John EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 Ainslie, whose persistent and meticulous research INTRODUCTION 8 exposed many of the accidents described here THE PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 14 CASE STUDY 1: ‘An accident waiting to happen: fire at Windscale . 25 ON THE ROAD: ACCIDENTS DURING THE TRANSPORT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 30 CASE STUDY 2: Slipping off the road . 39 STORAGE AND HANDLING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 42 CASE STUDY 3: Rough handling at RAF Bruggen . 46 IN THE FIELD: INCIDENTS INVOLVING AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS 48 CASE STUDY 4: Nuclear weapons and the Falklands War . 55 UNDER THE WAVES: ACCIDENTS INVOLVING NUCLEAR-ARMED SUBMARINES 58 CASE STUDY 5: Collision in the ocean depths. 73 SECRETS AND SPIES: NUCLEAR SECURITY 76 CASE STUDY 6: “We’re hijacking this submarine . Take us to Cuba .” . .87 OVER HERE: ACCIDENTS INVOLVING US NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE UK 90 CASE STUDY 7: Broken Arrow at Lakenheath . 98 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 100 AFTERWORD 103 APPENDIX 104 GLOSSARY 106 REPORT AUTHOR: PETER BURT 1 A nuclear armed Trident submarine, HMS REPORT HEADLINES Vigilant, returning to Faslane after deployment Why we did this study: • The following factors have all contributed to accidents involving British nuclear weapons: This report presents the accident record of the } Failures caused as equipment reaches UK’s nuclear weapons programme over its 65 the end of its operating life. year history. Our aim in doing this is simple: to remind the public of the risks posed by nuclear } Equipment in short supply or overused.