About us
Our mission is to keep safe and capable submarines at sea, maintain our nuclear warheads and deliver the nuclear deterrent to protect national and global security.
The Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) oversees all defence nuclear business, excluding operations.
Responsibilities
We are responsible for:
- providing nuclear deterrence (one of the Ministry of Defence’s 8 military tasks)
- sponsoring the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), which includes all the organisations, programmes and people within government that sustain the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent
- advising on UK nuclear policy, planning and international co-operation on nuclear matters
Priorities
Our priorities for 2023/2024 are:
- continue work on the Astute submarine programme and develop the fleet of the future through the Dreadnought build programme and AUKUS alliance
- maintain our existing nuclear warheads and deliver the replacement warhead programme
- continue to build the next generation of nuclear capabilities and nuclear skills across the DNE
- develop our key alliances with the US, France and Australia
Read our guidance on the UK’s nuclear deterrent: what you need to know.
Who we are
The DNO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Our Chief of Defence Nuclear, Madelaine McTernan CB, is accountable for the organisation’s performance to the MOD Permanent Secretary, David Williams.
The DNO is made up of over 750 people. Our head office is based in the MOD Main Building, London, but we have staff spread across three other sites in Bristol, Reading and Scotland. It is split into six directorates and one group:
- Strategy and Policy Directorate
- Submarine Capability Directorate
- Corporate Finance Directorate
- Security and Safety Directorate
- SSN-AUKUS Directorate
- Enterprise Portfolio Directorate
- Warhead Group
We cover all necessary areas to provide a safe, credible and capable nuclear deterrent programme. Our staff are engaged in:
- scientific research
- delivery of nuclear warheads
- procurement of submarines
- provision of specialised infrastructure
- nuclear disposal
- DNE safety and security
- sustaining specialist skills and attracting the best new talent
- conducting assurance and emergency response arrangements
The DNO is responsible for three arm’s-length bodies:
- the Submarine Delivery Agency, an executive agency tasked with procurement, in-service support and disposal of the nuclear submarines
- the Atomic Weapons Establishment, where nuclear weapons are designed, certified and assembled
- Sheffield Foragemasters International Limited, where large scale steel components are supplied into existing and future UK defence programmes
We work closely with several partners to fulfil our mission. These include Navy Command, the Submarine Delivery Agency, the Atomic Weapons Establishment, and our major industry partners Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Babcock international.