FlyPast 02.2018

COLD WAR 1957 WHITE PAPER

92 FLYPAST February 2018

production of both the Hawker

Hunter and Swift and other fighter

aircraft, as well as a description of

its successes (largely the V-bomber

programme and the Canberra).

There was also a forward look aimed

at modernising the system by which

complex military aircraft were to be

developed and procured in the future.”

Development of the Javelin,

designed to intercept Soviet nuclear-

armed bombers and regarded as “our

most important aircraft after the

V-bombers”, was fundamental to the

strategic defence of the UK. Since it

was an Allied asset, stationed in West

Germany, procurement of 300 of the

427 Javelins produced for the RAF

was financed by the USA, but that

funding stopped in 1956.

As the Minister of Supply noted, the

so-called ‘Thin-Wing’ Javelin might

“never become a satisfactory fighting

machine” unless more money was

spent on development, and at the cost

of a “serious delay”.

During this period there were 26

active research projects, costing just

under £500 million (£0.5 billion); out

of a total aircraft spend of £34 billion.

This had little negative effect on the

strategic bomber programme, as this

protracted development was in step

with building the atomic bomb.

But the impact on UK fighters

was more serious. First, it delayed

development of supersonic concepts.

Secondly, when the UK was involved

in a serious shooting war, its fighters

were inferior to both its allies and its

adversaries.

By 1956 the Ministry of Supply

was openly considering how it might

encourage the growth of “larger

technical teams”. Weaker firms with

a record of poor performance were

classed as “candidates for relegation”

through “selective allocation of

contracts”.

Nuclear retaliation

On January 24, 1957, Macmillan

announced that he had entrusted

By 1956 the Ministry of Supply

was openly considering how it might

AboveAbove

The prototype AW The prototype AW

Argosy civilian Argosy civilian

freighter G-AOZZ freighter G-AOZZ

is rolled out at is rolled out at is rolled out at is rolled out at

Bitteswell, near Bitteswell, near

Rugby, ready for Rugby, ready for

its fi rst fl ight on its fi rst fl ight on

January 8, 1959. January 8, 1959.

The military airlifter The military airlifter

version was a version was a

benefi ciary of the benefi ciary of the

Sandys ‘Central Sandys ‘Central

Reserve’ concept.Reserve’ concept.

RightRight

The fi rst prototype The fi rst prototype

of Hawker’s forward-of Hawker’s forward-

thinking P.1121 under thinking P.1121 under

construction at its construction at its

Richmond Road Richmond Road

site, Kingston upon site, Kingston upon

Thames. Thames.

“Fighter Command could not achieve its

purpose in the nuclear age and, therefore,

had no part to play in the emerging type of

global war”