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Blue Steel (missile)

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Steel as a high-altitude weapon, that year the government decided that because of anti-aircraft missiles' increasing effectiveness, V bombers would have to convert from high-altitude to low-altitude attacks. These trials were conducted in 1964 and concluded in 1965 With no effective long-range weapon the original Blue Steel served on after a crash programme of minor modifications to permit a low-level launch at 1,000 ft (300 m), even though its usefulness in a hot war was likely limited. A stop-gap weapon (
441: 907: 452: 868: 2050: 460: 135: 22: 840:, the test rounds were flown there by Victors and Vulcans in Operation Blue Ranger. The trials began in 1960 about the time the original requirement expected the weapon to be in service. The missiles were prepared at the Weapons Research Establishment near Salisbury South Australia, and flown to be launched at the Woomera range from RAAF Edinburgh. A specialist unit, 533:(ECM) to disrupt fighter operations, and a standoff missile to allow the bombers to turn back before approaching within the range of the SAMs. It was expected that this combination would allow the V force to remain effective until 1965 at least. Beyond that time a new supersonic bomber would be required, a requirement that would ultimately be taken up as the 572:(MoS) did not feel that development should remain at the RAE, and had canvassed the bomber builders asking for comments on the RAE's concept. Avro, having recently given the go-ahead on the 730, was primarily interested in a short-range weapon of perhaps 100 miles (160 km) range, which would allow it to avoid the most heavily defended areas. 626:
would weigh in at 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg) and include both disposible boosters and a drop-off fuel tank with range up to 450 nautical miles (830 km; 520 mi). For the future Avro 730, a new delta wing design of 18 to 26,000 lbs would offer range up to 900 nautical miles (1,700 km; 1,000 mi).
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Blue Steel required up to seven hours of launch preparation, and was highly unreliable. The Royal Air Force estimated in 1963 that half the missiles would fail to fire and would have to be dropped over their targets, contradicting their purpose of serving as standoff weapons. Even as it deployed Blue
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with a range of at least 50 mi (80 km). This would keep the bombers out of range of Soviet ground-based defences installed around the target area, allowing the missile to "dash" in at high speed. There would have to be a balance between the size of the warhead, the need for it to be carried
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systems were steadily improving, making the approach to the V bomber's targets more difficult. An extensive study, "The Pattern of the Future Offensive", suggested that an attacking force of 100 aircraft would suffer 8% losses at night, and as much as 29% during the day due to the much greater number
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Considering the submission, the Ministry responded by ordering Avro to work only on the OR.1137 requirements. This produced the first complete design, W.100. They proposed building the missile from AF.520 stainless steel to handle the aerodynamic heating from flight at Mach 3, and expected to learn
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projects would seem like the natural choice for the contract, and planned to have their weapon in operation two years earlier than the other teams, but the Ministry had a cold relationship with the company. Avro appears to have been selected due to a number of RAE personnel having been hired by the
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The program ran into delays almost immediately. All of the systems - missile, navigation and motor - ran into problems and this resulted in the companies pointing fingers at each other. By the late 1950s it was clear the missiles would not be ready for their 1962 initial operational introduction,
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weapon known as "Green Bamboo". To achieve the desired 1 MT yield, the implosion had to be extremely symmetrical, and this required a 72-point explosive system that led to the weapon being 45 inches (1,100 mm) in diameter and massing an estimated 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg). This weapon was
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that would provide the required 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) range at speeds up to Mach 2.5. The 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg) Stage 2 would use an improved engine and more fuel to provide range up to 240 nautical miles (440 km; 280 mi) at speeds up to Mach 4.5. Stage 3
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supplemented the remaining modified Blue Steel missiles, using a low-level penetration followed by a pop-up manoeuvre to release the weapon at 1,000 ft (300 m). One live operational round was deployed on each of forty-eight Vulcan and Victor bombers, and a further five live rounds were
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would develop the liquid fuel engine. The design period was protracted, with various development problems exacerbated by the fact that designers lacked information on the actual size and weight of the proposed Green Bamboo, or its likely thermonuclear successor derived from the Granite series.
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powered. Avro simply could not find a place to put an air intake on the missile which did not result it in being too large in some other dimension, typically length. The difficulties encountered bending sheets of stainless steel led to the initial versions of W.100 being very "linear", with a
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By this time it was clear that the Soviets were going to install an even more extensive missile system that originally believed, one that would cover the approach routes to the targets and even have sites on the Russian coastline, well outside the range of the missile.
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were much more interested, proposing longer-ranged weapons that would extend the life of their existing V bomber designs. Handley Page's concept rejected the MoS's shorter range and offered a design of 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) using
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gyro-based guidance system was inaccurate beyond 100 nmi (190 km) and this range would be wasted. Avro's W.100 won the development contract. Blue Steel emerged as a pilotless, winged aircraft roughly the size of the experimental
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Blue Steel entered service in 1963, by which point improved SAMs with longer range had greatly eroded the advantages of the design. A longer-range version, Blue Steel II, was considered, but cancelled in favour of the much longer-range
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Avro proposed that Blue Steel would evolve over time, subsequent versions increasing speed (to Mach 4.5) and range. The ultimate Blue Steel would be a 900 nmi (1,700 km) range weapon that could be launched by the supersonic
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1.5. Once close to the target, the second chamber of the engine (6,000 lbf) would accelerate the missile to Mach 3. Over the target the engine would cut out and the missile would free-fall before detonating its warhead as an
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company to form their design department, the Weapons Research Division, including the Chief Engineer, R.H. Fransis. On 4 May 1955 the Ministry of Supply issued the G/Proj/6220/GW35A contract with Avro and assigned it the
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It was the large size of the warhead, and the resulting 48 inches (1,200 mm) diameter fuselage needed to carry it, that led Avro to the use of a rocket motor when most standoff weapons to that point were jet or
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in Soviet service. The paper concluded with a summary showing the expected losses over time as the Soviet forces improved, by 1957 it was expected that losses would be 10 to 20% at night, and then further erode.
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to minimise delays to the Mk.1. The UK sought to acquire the much longer-ranged United States AGM-48 Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile and was greatly frustrated when that weapon was cancelled in late
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bombers could tie their systems into those of the missile and make use of the guidance system to help plot their own flight plan, since the unit in the missile was more advanced than that in the aircraft.
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fabrication techniques; this would have been gained in building the Avro 730 but that had been cancelled by then. The Elliots guidance system was plagued by accuracy problems, delaying test flights.
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cylindrical fuselage, conical nose and straight wings and control surfaces. As part of ongoing industry-wide research, the design underwent several evolutionary changes. The wings and canards became
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how to do so using the 730 contract to build testbeds. A series of smaller designs, W.101 through 104, would be made from a variety of materials and used to test the flight dynamics,
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program and its V-300 missiles had limited range around 30 kilometres (19 mi) at best. As these were deployed, expected in the late 1950s, approaching the target for attact with
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produced as operational spares. An additional four non-nuclear rounds were produced for various RAF requirements, and there were sixteen other unspecified training rounds.
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On launch the rocket engine's first chamber developing 24,000 lbf (110 kN) thrust would power the missile along a predetermined course to the target at around
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Avro's initial response, in late 1955, was a four-stage development effort. In Stage 1, the 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg) weapon would be powered by a two-chamber
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system from the US. When development of that system was cancelled in 1962, the V-bomber fleet was considered highly vulnerable. Blue Steel remained the primary
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by any of the three V-bomber types in use, and that it should be able to reach Mach 3. At the time the only strategic warhead available in the UK was the
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under development. They were told to limit themselves to the specification of OR.1132. The project was delayed by the need to develop the required
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The conclusion of this paper, and other reports like it, was that the situation could be greatly improved through the combination of improved
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B) was quickly produced to extend the life of the V-bomber force in the strategic role until the Polaris missile was deployed. This WE.177
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of 1.1 Mt yield. Red Snow was smaller and lighter than the earlier warhead proposals. The missile was fitted with a state-of-the-art
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On 3 September 1954 the Air Staff issued Operational Requirement OR.1132 for the standoff weapon. This was essentially issued to the
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Blue Steel was officially retired on 31 December 1970, with the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear capacity passing to the
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unit. This system allowed the missile to strike within 100 metres of its designated target. In addition, the pilots of the
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Aliminum begins to soften around Mach 2.2 to 2.4, which is why most high-performance aircraft are limited to that speed.
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As it turned out, neither of the originally-proposed UK-designed warheads were actually fitted, being superseded by
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Bott, Ian & Gibson, Chris (July 2024). "Blue Steel: The RAF's Air-Launched Strategic Deterrent, 1952โ€“1970".
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formed a working group of engineers known as the Weapons Research Division made up mostly of people from the
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force. It allowed the bomber to launch the missile against its target while still outside the range of
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Avro Blue Steel missile (side view) at the Midland Air Museum behind the wing of an Avro Vulcan bomber
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leading to significant critism of Avro on the part of the Ministry of Supply and the Air Ministry.
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The UK intelligence services were also aware that the Soviets were planning to deploy an extensive
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name of "Blue Steel" which it would keep in service. With Elliots working on the guidance system,
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https://web.archive.org/web/20040208232113/http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/bluesteel.htm
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would not be accurate enough to fly this distance and hit its targets within the desired
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design was still in its early stages, and the intended weapon for the missile was a
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https://web.archive.org/web/20061209210406/http://www.vectorsite.net/twcruz.html
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Leitch, Andy. "V-Force Arsenal: Weapons for the Valiant, Victor and Vulcan".
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secret and only the diameter and mass were revealed to prospective entrants.
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3, and would trigger within 100 m of the pre-defined target point.
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aerospace museum, showing the twin-chamber "Stentor" rocket motor
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Official history: RAF Nuclear Deterrent Forces: Author: Wynne
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Ambiguity and Deterrence: British Nuclear Strategy 1945-1964
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at Mach 3 speeds and powered by a rocket engine running on
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British Secret Projects: Hypersonics, Ramjets and Missiles
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gave Avro confidence in construction of rounded surfaces.
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missile capable of carrying a large nuclear (or projected
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in February 1959, showing the (still unnamed) Blue Steel.
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Cold War air-to-surface missiles of the United Kingdom
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list of code names used for projects (Rainbow Codes)
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However, the Ministry noted that the 2088:Military equipment introduced in the 1960s 1745: 1731: 1412: 1398: 1370:an AVRO advertisement for the Vulcan from 1310: 1213: 1107: 1105: 1249:Butler, Phil & Buttler, Tony (2007). 106:Learn how and when to remove this message 866: 458: 450: 439: 1102: 2065: 1219: 2083:Nuclear weapons of the United Kingdom 1726: 1393: 1284:Gibson, Chris; Buttler, Tony (2007). 1082:V-bombers: Valiant, Vulcan and Victor 551:Atomic Weapons Research Establishment 526:would become increasingly dangerous. 842:No. 4 Joint Services Trials Unit RAF 804:, an Anglicised variant of the U.S. 512:, the system was partially based on 237:34 ft 11 in (10.64 m) 44:adding citations to reliable sources 15: 1202: 476:During the early 1950s, the Soviet 463:Rear view of Blue Steel missile at 253:12 ft 11 in (3.94 m) 13: 1367:The Vulcan Gets New Striking Power 1304: 951:: 1.22 m (48 in) minimum 871:AEC Mandator Blue Steel tender at 557:and 50 inches (1,300 mm) for 14: 2104: 1328: 1113:"Avro Blue Steel Nuclear Missile" 930: 2049: 2048: 1335:Video of Blue Steel in operation 1084:, Crowood Press, 2000, p.134-139 969:: 21,500 m (70,500 ft) 905: 245:1.22 m (48 in) minimum 133: 20: 2078:Nuclear air-to-surface missiles 1977:British hydrogen bomb programme 1242: 1117:Bomber County Aviation Resource 957:: 7,270 lb (3,300 kg) 302:hydrogen peroxide with kerosene 31:needs additional citations for 1122: 1074: 1049: 666:as OR.1132 in September 1954. 662:issued this requirement for a 485:ground controlled interception 435: 322:21,500 m (70,500 ft) 229:17,000 lb (7,700 kg) 216:One/mod for low-level delivery 202: 1: 1062: 855:engine, but was cancelled in 669: 1067: 691:Royal Aircraft Establishment 547:Royal Aircraft Establishment 294:20,000 lbf (89 kN) 7: 1895:surface-to-surface missiles 1380:"Blue Steel And Its Engine" 1006: 975:: 240 km (150 mi) 898: 697:to handle the heating from 508:. Known in the west as the 150:air-launched cruise missile 10: 2109: 1923:Orange William (Swingfire) 939:: 10.7 m (35 ft) 806:W-28 thermonuclear warhead 729:and the experience of the 587:inertial navigation system 540: 531:electronic countermeasures 471: 345:Inertial navigation system 291:Armstrong Siddeley Stentor 208:53 operational live rounds 2046: 2020: 1959: 1933:satellite launch vehicles 1931: 1893: 1845: 1822: 1773: 1764: 1756:military projects of the 1709: 1676: 1638: 1576:(Sea Ceptor, Land Ceptor) 1554: 1486: 1428: 1386:article on the Blue Steel 1209:Gibson & Buttler 2007 1197:Gibson & Buttler 2007 1182:Gibson & Buttler 2007 1167:Gibson & Buttler 2007 1155:Gibson & Buttler 2007 1097:Butler & Buttler 2007 763: 415:British nuclear deterrent 365: 350: 336: 326: 318: 314:926 km (575 mi) 306: 298: 286: 281: 270: 257: 249: 241: 233: 225: 220: 212: 201: 191: 186: 176: 168: 163: 156:Place of origin 155: 144: 132: 125: 55:"Blue Steel" missile 1918:Blue Rapier / Red Rapier 1357:. Publisher: HMSO, 1994. 1042: 616: 589:(INS) being deveoped by 425:ballistic missiles from 1972:High Explosive Research 1875:Red Shoes (Thunderbird) 1870:Red Duster (Bloodhound) 1847:surface-to-air missiles 1824:air-to-surface missiles 945:: 4 m (13 ft) 836:To speed the trials at 595:circular error probable 516:research in the German 399:surface-to-air missiles 360:flight control surfaces 1715: Anglo-Australian 1313:The Aviation Historian 1288:. Midland Publishing. 1253:. 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p. 108. 1171: 1169:, p. 107. 1159: 1157:, p. 105. 1142: 1121: 1101: 1086: 1080:Jones, Barry. 1072: 1071: 1069: 1066: 1064: 1061: 1058: 1057: 1047: 1046: 1044: 1041: 1040: 1039: 1034: 1022: 1008: 1005: 1004: 1003: 990: 982: 976: 970: 964: 958: 952: 946: 940: 932: 931:Specifications 929: 928: 927: 916: 915: 913:United Kingdom 900: 897: 885:laydown weapon 765: 762: 676:nuclear weapon 671: 668: 664:stand-off bomb 639:rocket-powered 618: 615: 613:"Blue Steel". 542: 539: 473: 470: 437: 434: 411:GAM-87 Skybolt 375: 374: 371: 366: 363: 362: 356: 351: 348: 347: 342: 337: 334: 333: 330: 328:Maximum speed 324: 323: 320: 319:Flight ceiling 316: 315: 312: 307: 304: 303: 300: 296: 295: 288: 284: 283: 279: 278: 272: 268: 267: 259: 255: 254: 251: 247: 246: 243: 239: 238: 235: 231: 230: 227: 223: 222: 221:Specifications 218: 217: 214: 210: 209: 206: 199: 198: 193: 189: 188: 184: 183: 178: 174: 173: 170: 166: 165: 161: 160: 159:United Kingdom 157: 153: 152: 146: 142: 141: 138: 130: 129: 119: 114: 113: 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1626: 1623: 1621: 1618: 1616: 1613: 1611: 1608: 1606: 1603: 1601: 1598: 1596: 1593: 1591: 1588: 1586: 1583: 1581: 1578: 1575: 1572: 1570: 1567: 1565: 1562: 1561: 1559: 1557: 1553: 1547: 1544: 1542: 1539: 1537: 1534: 1532: 1529: 1527: 1524: 1522: 1519: 1517: 1514: 1512: 1509: 1507: 1504: 1502: 1499: 1497: 1494: 1493: 1491: 1489: 1485: 1479: 1476: 1474: 1473:SRAAM/Taildog 1471: 1469: 1466: 1464: 1461: 1459: 1456: 1454: 1451: 1449: 1446: 1444: 1441: 1439: 1436: 1435: 1433: 1431: 1427: 1422: 1415: 1410: 1408: 1403: 1401: 1396: 1395: 1392: 1385: 1381: 1378: 1375: 1374: 1369: 1368: 1364: 1362: 1359: 1356: 1355:0-11-772833-0 1352: 1348: 1346: 1343: 1341: 1338: 1336: 1333: 1332: 1322: 1318: 1315:(48): 10โ€“22. 1314: 1309: 1308: 1297: 1291: 1287: 1282: 1280: 1276: 1272: 1271: 1266: 1262: 1256: 1252: 1247: 1246: 1233: 1231:0-19-828012-2 1227: 1223: 1216: 1210: 1205: 1198: 1193: 1191: 1183: 1178: 1176: 1168: 1163: 1156: 1151: 1149: 1147: 1131: 1125: 1118: 1114: 1108: 1106: 1099:, p. 15. 1098: 1093: 1091: 1083: 1077: 1073: 1052: 1048: 1038: 1037:Rainbow Codes 1035: 1026: 1023: 1018:United States 1014: 1011: 1010: 1001: 1000:thermonuclear 998: 994: 991: 989:: ~100 metres 988: 987: 983: 980: 977: 974: 973:Maximum Range 971: 968: 965: 962: 959: 956: 955:Launch Weight 953: 950: 947: 944: 941: 938: 935: 934: 925: 921: 918: 917: 914: 903: 902: 896: 894: 889: 886: 882: 874: 869: 865: 863: 858: 854: 850: 845: 843: 839: 834: 832: 827: 822: 819: 815: 811: 807: 803: 798: 796: 792: 786: 782: 778: 775: 771: 761: 759: 755: 751: 748: 743: 739: 734: 732: 728: 723: 717: 715: 712: 708: 704: 700: 699:skin friction 696: 692: 688: 684: 681: 677: 674:At the time, 667: 665: 661: 657: 652: 648: 647:thermonuclear 644: 640: 635: 633: 627: 624: 623:rocket engine 614: 612: 607: 603: 598: 596: 592: 588: 584: 579: 575: 571: 566: 564: 560: 556: 552: 548: 538: 536: 532: 527: 525: 524:gravity bombs 521: 520: 515: 511: 507: 503: 499: 494: 491: 486: 482: 479: 466: 461: 453: 447: 442: 433: 431: 429: 424: 420: 416: 412: 406: 404: 400: 396: 392: 389: 388:nuclear armed 385: 382: 372: 364: 361: 357: 349: 346: 343: 335: 331: 325: 321: 317: 313: 305: 301: 297: 292: 289: 285: 280: 277: 273: 269: 266: 263: 260: 256: 252: 248: 244: 240: 236: 232: 228: 224: 219: 215: 211: 207: 200: 197: 194: 190: 185: 182: 179: 175: 171: 167: 162: 158: 154: 151: 147: 143: 136: 131: 124: 118: 110: 107: 99: 96:November 2010 88: 85: 81: 78: 74: 71: 67: 64: 60: 57: โ€“  56: 52: 51:Find sources: 45: 41: 35: 34: 29:This article 27: 23: 18: 17: 2093:Rainbow code 1987:Blue Peacock 1951:Black Prince 1946:Black Knight 1837:Green Cheese 1831: 1701:Green Cheese 1685: 1531:Storm Shadow 1383: 1371: 1366: 1312: 1300:</ref> 1285: 1268: 1250: 1243:Bibliography 1221: 1215: 1204: 1162: 1133:. Retrieved 1124: 1116: 1081: 1076: 1051: 1030:Soviet Union 992: 984: 978: 972: 966: 960: 954: 948: 942: 936: 890: 877: 846: 835: 823: 799: 787: 783: 779: 770:Rainbow Code 767: 760:foreplanes. 738:Handley Page 735: 718: 685: 673: 663: 656:Green Bamboo 636: 628: 620: 611:rainbow code 599: 578:Handley Page 567: 544: 528: 517: 510:SA-1 "Guild" 495: 490:day fighters 475: 427: 407: 383: 378: 192:Manufacturer 177:Used by 117: 102: 93: 83: 76: 69: 62: 50: 38:Please help 33:verification 30: 2002:Violet Club 1982:Blue Danube 1941:Black Arrow 1908:Blue Streak 1691:Blue Streak 1630:Thunderbird 814:Avro Vulcan 754:delta wings 750:interceptor 731:Bristol 188 559:Avro Vulcan 514:World War 2 465:RAF Cosford 436:Development 308:Operational 205: built 127:Blue Steel 2067:Categories 2012:Yellow Sun 1913:Blue Water 1855:Blue Envoy 1832:Blue Steel 1696:Blue Water 1686:Blue Steel 1620:Starstreak 1564:Bloodhound 1448:Firestreak 1430:Air-to-air 1340:Blue Steel 1063:References 981:: Inertial 963:: Mach 2.3 756:and small 705:(HTP) and 670:Avro W.100 643:supersonic 606:Red Rapier 519:Wasserfall 478:PVO-Strany 428:Resolution 419:Royal Navy 384:Blue Steel 299:Propellant 66:newspapers 1997:Red Beard 1903:Blue Slug 1648:Swingfire 1615:Starburst 1605:Sea Viper 1536:Sea Venom 1521:Sea Eagle 1506:Brimstone 1501:Blue Boar 1443:Fireflash 1321:2051-1930 1279:0143-5450 1068:Citations 1028:– ( 1016:– ( 924:V bombers 893:submarine 831:air burst 660:Air Staff 634:and INS. 632:autopilot 602:Blue Boar 172:1963-1970 2038:Red Snow 2025:warheads 1814:Skyflash 1807:Taildog/ 1798:Red Hebe 1793:Red Dean 1754:Cold War 1663:Vigilant 1625:Tigercat 1610:Sea Wolf 1595:Sea Dart 1569:Blowpipe 1526:Sea Skua 1478:Skyflash 1463:Red Hebe 1458:Red Dean 1135:16 March 1007:See also 1002:(1.1 Mt) 997:Red Snow 979:Guidance 949:Diameter 943:Wingspan 899:Operator 802:Red Snow 791:Avro 730 707:kerosene 535:Avro 730 395:V bomber 373:Aircraft 369:platform 358:Movable 352:Steering 338:Guidance 262:Red Snow 250:Wingspan 242:Diameter 213:Variants 2022:nuclear 1961:nuclear 1880:Seaslug 1803:Red Top 1678:Nuclear 1658:UB.109T 1653:Malkara 1600:Seaslug 1580:Javelin 1541:SPEAR 3 1516:Martlet 1468:Red Top 1382:a 1960 993:Warhead 967:Ceiling 895:fleet. 838:Woomera 742:Elliots 651:warhead 597:(CEP). 541:OR.1132 472:Origins 423:Polaris 332:Mach 3+ 276:megaton 258:Warhead 80:scholar 2033:ET.317 2007:WE.177 1590:Seacat 1585:Rapier 1546:Tychon 1511:Martel 1453:Meteor 1438:ASRAAM 1384:Flight 1373:Flight 1353:  1319:  1292:  1277:  1257:  1228:  937:Length 910:  881:WE.177 853:ramjet 764:Delays 758:canard 727:deltas 722:ramjet 583:ramjet 502:Moscow 367:Launch 354:system 340:system 287:Engine 234:Length 82:  75:  68:  61:  53:  1964:bombs 1809:SRAAM 1496:ALARM 1043:Notes 1025:Kh-22 961:Speed 617:W.100 310:range 87:JSTOR 73:books 1668:NLAW 1574:CAMM 1351:ISBN 1317:ISSN 1290:ISBN 1275:ISSN 1255:ISBN 1226:ISBN 1137:2007 862:1962 857:1960 849:1963 826:Mach 687:Avro 604:and 576:and 568:The 561:and 403:Mach 381:Avro 379:The 274:1.1 226:Mass 196:Avro 145:Type 59:news 986:CEP 922:- ( 816:or 488:of 203:No. 42:by 2069:: 1189:^ 1174:^ 1145:^ 1115:, 1104:^ 1089:^ 995:: 864:. 833:. 649:) 641:, 565:. 537:. 432:. 1746:e 1739:t 1732:v 1413:e 1406:t 1399:v 1323:. 1298:. 1263:. 1234:. 1139:. 1032:) 1020:) 926:) 109:) 103:( 98:) 94:( 84:ยท 77:ยท 70:ยท 63:ยท 36:.

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"Blue Steel" missile
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air-launched cruise missile
Royal Air Force
Avro
Red Snow
thermonuclear weapon
megaton
Armstrong Siddeley Stentor
Inertial navigation system
flight control surfaces
Avro
nuclear armed
standoff missile
V bomber
surface-to-air missiles
Mach
GAM-87 Skybolt
British nuclear deterrent
Royal Navy

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