BRITISH AIR POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26713, 6 March 1948, Page 7

BRITISH AIR POWER

GREAT PROGRESS IN JET BOMBERS BALANCED FORCE PLANNED LONDON, Mar. 4. Britain aimed to establish a balanced air force able to make a potential aggressor realise that if he started trouble Britain would hit hard and at once, said the Secretary for Air, Mr Arthur Henderson, presenting the Air Estimates in the House of Commons. He revealed that there had been great progress on new jet engines, and this suggested that new jet bombers of exceptional performance were in sight. The equipment of a bomber force with jet aircraft had therefore been delayed. “We must concentrate on quality, mobility and training,” he said. “ Pressbutton warfare is not yet a practical reality. Even if and when its technical problems are solved, only manned aircraft will be able to carry out. many air force functions.” Mr Henderson said the British jet fighters, whose primary task was to defend Britain from air attack, were the world’s best. He was confident that the designers could maintain that superiority. Mr Henderson said that only one regular fighter squadron had not been re-eouipped with jet fighters, and auxiliary air force fighter squadrons with suitable airfields would also be given jet machines this summer. He added that' the number of serving officers and airmen would fall from the present figure of 274,000 to 26,000 during the next 12 months.