WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. (August 30, 2024) – Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) hosted leadership from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD), along with National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Department of Defense (DoD) leadership, at Trinity Site on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). This visit is part of an ongoing partnership to maintain long-standing working relationships between the two countries.
WSMR Executive Director Vincent M. Liddiard greeted the guests and provided opening remarks for the visit. WSMR Museum Specialist Jenn Jett opened the tour with a presentation covering the history of Trinity Site, and how the installation started testing with Jumbo, a device designed by the X2-A section of LANL to act as a failsafe device for the Trinity Test explosion. At ground zero, WSMR Deputy Director of the Survivability, Vulnerability and Assessment Directorate Frank Andrews, discussed WSMR’s posture in support of the DoD, specifically within the nuclear field.
The MoD, responsible for implementing the United Kingdom’s defense policy and serving as the headquarters of the British Armed Forces, has been involved with LANL and WSMR since the 1940’s as the need for research and development of a nuclear bomb quickly accelerated. As part of the British Mission, some of the United Kingdom’s best experimental and theoretical physicists worked alongside American scientists and engineers on the Manhattan Project during World War II.
“It’s been a privilege to be here at Trinity Site. It’s where it all began and it’s just incredible to see how you respect the history you have here,” said Rebecca Weston, MoD Warhead Director General. “We have been working closely with the U.S. for decades and it all started here.”
In 1943, the British Delegations started at Los Alamos with English physicist, Sir James Chadwick, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in physics for the discovery of the neutron in 1932. In 1941, he wrote the final draft of the MAUD Report, which inspired the U.S. government to begin serious atom bomb research efforts.
“In 1958 we renewed our partnership with the MoD and have been going strong ever since,” said Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Thom Mason. “I’m extremely pleased we could convene at this awe-inspiring location to reflect on our incredible history of friendship and collaboration.”
“Having spent my entire career focused on getting rid of weapons of mass destruction, this is a very significant moment for me to be here visiting where the first nuclear weapon was tested for the first time. It brings my work full circle,” said Kasia Mendelsohn, Acting Associate Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation.
“My visit has been absolutely amazing, it’s a privilege to be here. We have been establishing some great relationships with people doing impressive work here,” said Mandy Savage, AWE’s Executive Director of Engineering.
“I am delighted to be here today, it’s a real honor to get to see the site. Meeting with my U.S. counterparts with the DoD has been successful and finishing the visit with a trip to this historical site where our nuclear programs started is actually quite moving,” said Madelaine McTernan, MoD Chief of Defence Nuclear.
“The partnership with our British counterparts is truly amazing. It is a special, long-standing relationship between nations that has no equal. The British were involved from the very beginning with the Manhattan Project. It’s a delight to bring our senior leaders here after having a meeting discussing our Mutual Defense Agreement,” said Marvin Adams, NNSA’s Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs.
“This has been a tremendous visit so far and the continued collaboration with our U.K. partners has been absolutely phenomenal and critical to driving forward our program as well. The commitment that we have in collaborating through transparency and cooperation across our two governments has really benefited our work and we look forward to continuing that commitment for many years to come,” said Dr. Brandi Vann, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs.
“As we go through an inflection point for the U.S. nuclear deterrent it’s helpful to come back to where it all began here at White Sands Missile Range. Being able to invite our U.K. colleagues to come visit reminds us of where we come from and of the shoulders of giants upon whom we stand to give us a clear vision of the future and where we need to go together,” said Drew Walter, DoD Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters.
Social Sharing