Ever since the first Zeppelin raids in World War 1 the vulnerability of the civilian population of the UK to attack from the air has been a major factor in shaping our armed forces.
The tile "Air Defence of Great Britain" comes from the organisation set up to meet the only air threat imagined in...
airdefence
ballistic missile defense
british army
cold war
cold war ii
cruise missile
interwar period
nuclear battlefield
raf fighter command
raf strike command
royal air force
royal navy
strategic bomber
strategic defence
sub-strategic nuke
tactical nuke
ukairdefenceregion
united kingdom
world war i
world war ii
Nothing in military history has given the RAF such a hold on the public imagination as the gallant Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of the Battle of Britain.
Sadly in the postwar nuclear world their successors have only been tasked with wartime defence of key military infrastructure in the UK.
It...
air combat interceptors
airdefence
british army
british isles
cold war
cold war ii
no. 11 group raf
north atlantic treaty organisation
nuclear battlefield
post-cold war
raf fighter command
raf regiment
raf strike command
royal air force
royal artillery
royal navy
royal observer corps
surface-to-air missile
ukairdefenceregion
united kingdom air forces
220 Tornado IDS; replacing 7 Squadrons (6 from 1981) of Vulcan B.2 (56 in total), 5 squadrons of Jaguar and 2 squadrons of RAF Germany Buccaneers: 11 squadrons planned as of 1985 of which 2 were to be recce. there was ultimately a try-national training unit and the TWCU.
165 Tornado ADV...
1990s
alternate history
cold war
great britain
north atlantic treaty organisation
nuclear battlefield
raf germany
raf strike command
raf support command
royal air force
tactical nuke
ukairdefenceregion
wall not fallen
Back in the 80s it was finally realised that the Avro Shackleton AEW was obsolete and later that the Nimrod AEW.3 project was very unlikely to work correctly. The UK Government and MoD went looking for a replacement and settled on the E-3D Sentry which entered RAF service in 1990.
What were the...
airdefenceairborne early warning
awacs
cold war
great britain
late 1980s
north atlantic treaty organisation
raf strike command
royal air force
ukairdefenceregion
The preferred UK AEW for the RAF was always the Nimrod as it was big and in production. In 1966 studies looked at various radar options, but lack of money delayed it.
All of the above comes from 'Airborne Early Warning, design, development and operations' by Mike Hirst, Osprey, 1983.
1960s
1970s
1980s
airdefenceairborne early warning
british aerospace plc
cold war
gec-marconi
gec-marconi electronics ltd
great britain
hawker siddeley aviation ltd
north atlantic treaty organisation
raf fighter command
raf strike command
royal air force
ukairdefenceregion
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.