Dr Malcolm Jones MBE is an alumnus who has forged a career and gained national and international recognition as a physicist in the fields of Nuclear Warhead science and technology.
Malcolm spent six years at Swansea University between 1961-67 where he attained a first -class honours degree in Physics, followed by a PhD in Solid state Physics.
He started working at the Atomic Weapons Establishment – then called the AWRE - in December 1967 on explosive to electric energy transducers and their application to electro-explosive circuits. His related work on high magnetic field generation culminated in presentations to international conferences in the US, where there was a strong US interest in the then USSR capability. It was there that he met Isaak Pomeranckuk, who with Nobel Prize winner Andrei Sakharov, were USSR pioneers in this technology.
Malcolm’s work also saw him become part of the team sent to the US for the initial briefing on their Trident warhead, which led to the development of the UK’S Trident equivalent.
During his career Malcolm was also responsible for the testing of, and assessment of radiation effects on warhead technology and he also carried out the initial assessment work on the viability of ‘so called’ directed energy weapon concepts.
Malcolm’s work on nuclear warhead arming fuzing and firing technologies was key to both nuclear safety and performance, including the development of plasma codes for re-entering ballistic vehicle assessment. Perhaps Malcolm is best known for his major contributions to nuclear safety, including design, safe assembly processes and enhanced lighting protection of nuclear facilities. He was the architect of the ‘so called’ 13-point lightning facility safety enhancement. He also continues to have responsibilities for independent safety assessment of items in the UK’s warhead stockpile.
Much of his work was done in collaboration with the US National Nuclear Laboratories and this eventually led to the formation of the UK/US Joint Working Group operating under the 1958 Mutual Defense Agreement (MDA) on nuclear safety methodology and assessment. Malcolm served as the Working Group’s UK chair for its first 20 + years.
Malcolm was also the principal adviser to the Nuclear Section of the UK’s Ordnance Board, and then to MOD’s Nuclear Safety Adviser, in the setting of the Safety Principles and Safety Criteria that should govern nuclear weapon and warhead design. The final document of this series was developed in the 1990s and is still extant.
Malcolm’s international work not only covered relationships with the US National Laboratories, including advisory panels, but also included attendance at many international conferences, including invitations to give keynotes addresses.
Malcolm has represented the UK at international meetings including a NATO/RF conference on Nuclear Safety and Security Confidence Building Measures. He, with the MOD’s Chief Scientific Adviser (Sir Keith O’Nions), represented the UK at the 50TH Anniversary of the All-Russian Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA) in Moscow.
He is the recipient of a number of National and International Awards including the prestigious AWE John Challens’ Medal for lifetime STEM contributions, a similar award from the International System Safety Society, an MBE for contributions to the UK’s Defense Industry, and special recognition from (VNIIA) for enhancing nuclear safety collaboration between the UK and RF.
Malcolm Jones still works at the AWE in a part-time capacity, testament to his continued passion for discovery in the field of nuclear weapon technology and safety. Outside of his work, he has always enjoyed taking part in may sports, including road and cross country running, and in his seventies took up trekking with this son Phillip, including trips to the Andes and Himalayas.