BRITISH AIR DEFENCES

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26854, 6 October 1952, Page 7

BRITISH AIR DEFENCES

Fighters Fail In Exercise (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) LONDON. October 5. Within 18 hours of the beginning of the Royal Air Force’s biggest post-war exercise, it has been shown that the jet aircraft defending Britain are not last enough to intercept jet bombers, says the air correspondent of the “Sunday Express.” Canberras, the spearhead of the attack. outwitted the defending jets and “bombed” Birmingham. This could mean that defending jet fighters are too slow to prevent a potential enemy carrying an atomic bomb from reaching its objective. An Air Ministry spokesman admitted that the Canberras were only inafter they dropped the Air marshals responsible for the air defence of Britain are said to be gravely concerned at the results of the exercise. More than 1000 aircraft and 200.000 men and women of six nations are engaged in the exercises, which will go on until October 13. The main object of the Exercises is to find out whether the network of ground and air defence is adequate to keep the country safe from the threat of highspeed atom bombers. British, French. Belgian. Dutch. Canadian and American flyers are taking part. Simulated attacks on ; Britain have already started.