Britain’s Mystery Weapon

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30063, 22 February 1963, Page 11

Britain’s Mystery Weapon

LONDON, February 20. Britain is developing a new “mystery weapon” to bridge the gap before adopting the submarine-based Polaris missile, a Defence White Paper said today.

It is an adaptation of a weapon originally designed for tactical use with the TSR2 super bomber and the Buccaneer naval strike aircraft.

The new weapon will be carried by Britain’s latest Victor and Vulcan bombers —the Mark H’s.

It can be used tactically as the complement to the Blue Steel stand-off bomb and is aimed at giving “strategic nuclear punch,” the White Paper said. When the T.S.R.2—an extremely fast, low-flying aircraft, designed to avoid

enemy radar—enters service, it, too, will be able to carry the weapon in a strategic nuclear role. The weapon can be adapted “speedily and cheaply” to its new role. The White Paper gave no further details of the new weapon.

Reuter said British defence circles understood the new weapon was expected to go into service in 1968—two years before the first Polaris submarine is completed. The White Paper said Britain’s defence budget in 196364 would amount to £1,838,000,000 with the Navy ■pending £21,000,000 more than this year, mainly because of the Polaris missile. The Royal Air Force was expected to spend about £503,200,000. In spite of a rundown m fighter strength the Royal Air Force would keep a substantial fighter force in Britain. Other fighter squadrons would be stationed overseas and all would be supplemented with Bloodhound n surface-to-air missiles, the White Paper said. The Hawker P 1154, a supersonic vertical take off aircraft, has been chosen to replace the Hawker Hunter in close support strikereconnaissance, the White Paper said. The Army estimated a budget of £497 million, an increase of £23.100,000 over the current year. The statement urged "a compact mobile army composed of well-armed and highly trained soldiers.”