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Only one of the five acknowledged nuclear powers buys rather than builds their warheads: UK buys from US, because of the Manhattan Project history. NB the criti
by osullivj 5y ago
Only one of the five acknowledged nuclear powers buys rather than builds their warheads: UK buys from US, because of the Manhattan Project history. NB the critical calc about the mass of Uranium 235 necessary for fission was done at Birmingham Univ in 1942. Note the UK has supplied the US with plutionium as well as tech under the mutual defence treaty: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_US%E2%80%93UK_Mutual_Defence_Agreement#Special_nuclear_materials_barter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_US%E2%80%93UK_Mutual_Defe...
- soneil 5y agoI was under the impression the UK builds it’s own warheads at AWE/Aldermaston. What we bought was the delivery platform.
- EdwardDiego 5y agoThey certainly were fans of test detonations in the Australian Outback and atolls in Kiribati. And I think you're right about AWE. I can't imagine the modern UK wanting to be dependent on the US for nukes any longer than it needed to be.