stand off missiles

Keith Willshaw wrote:
"Henry J Cobb" wrote in message
...
Keith Willshaw wrote:
They used the UK designed and built Blue Steel
http://members.aol.com/nicholashl/uk...eel/bsteel.htm

Which had a fraction of the standoff range of the Hounddog.

Indeed but was rather faster and the it was only intended
as an interim measure until Skybolt came into service
but of course Skybolt was cancelled by the US

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skybolt_ALBM
The first fully successful flight occurred on December 19th, 1962, but
on that same day the whole program was cancelled and the production of
the operational GAM-87A stopped. The US simply had no need for the
missile any more, with improved silo-based missiles and SLBMs making
their counterforce largely invunerable anyway.

This left the RAF, and the British forces as a whole, in a terrible
position; development of both their ICBM and a newer standoff missile
for their V bombers had both been cancelled. This left them with no
credible nuclear deterrant. The program was offered to the British to
continue funding, but instead US Secretary of State Robert McNamara
persuaded them to buy the Polaris SLMB, and thus the nuclear deterrant
was passed from the RAF to the Royal Navy.

Sounds like a happy ending after all?

Note that the USSR could have easily nuked every airbase in the UK but
never had a decent ability to track British boomers.

-HJC