NEW AIR WEAPONS FOR BRITAIN
R.A.F. Adopts Devices Of Nuclear Era
(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, April 26. A powered bomb, a pilotless bomber, arid a ballistic missile with a range of 2000 miles will be the basis of the British Air Ministry’s new offensive, nuclear weapon system.
A Ministry spokesman told a press conference yesterday that the Royal Air Force had adopted the new system because of improvements in defences against air attacks.
“The Royal Air Force is convinced that the weapons now being produced and those being developed in this country are second to none,” the spokesman said.
The press conference followed the publication of a memorandum accompanying the £487,650,000 Air Budget for the coming financial year.
This, by the Air Minister (Mr George Ward), disclosed the site of Britain’s first guided missile station.
It is now being built at North Coates, on the coast of Dincoinshire, facing the North Sea. The new weapons will be:
An air-to-surface weapon. About the si±e of a small fighter, this would be carried part of the way to the target by a conventional bomber. It would then be released to fly the rest of the way under its own power.
A surface-to-surface missile. This—which could be called a pilotless bomber—would have a range, height and speed greatly superior to a conventional manned bomber. It would also be cheaper and would need a smaller launching area. A ballistic missile, which will have a range of 2000 miles. Flying at a height up to 400 or 500 miles, its speed would be more than 10,000 miles an hour. The spokesman said that the powered bomb was planned to come into service before the ballistic missile. With it, Britain’s V-bombers would be able to maintain the deterrent until the ballistic missile was ready in quantity. A South African Air ViceMarshal, known'to British airmen as “Zulu” was tonight named as the R.A.F.’s guided missile chief. He is Air Vice-Marshal Douglas Griffith Morris, aged 49, who will take charge of the new Guided Missile Branch of the R.A.F. Educated at Johannesburg, he joined the Royal Air Fbrce in 1930.
During the Battle of Britain he commanded No. 406 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Squadron. Commanding officer of the first guided missile station at North Coates will be Group Captain James Deathart, aged 42, who commanded a Spitfire squadron in World War 11.
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Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28262, 27 April 1957, Page 11
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397NEW AIR WEAPONS FOR BRITAIN Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28262, 27 April 1957, Page 11
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