Dilandu
I'm dissatisfied, which means, I exist.
By mid-1950s, Britain nuclear deterrence was formed around V-bomber fleet. For the moment, it was a perfectly adequate solution, but its future was uncertain. Concerns were already voiced about the vulnerability of V-force to possible surprize attacks (especially with ballistic missiles, which could reach targets too fast for bombers to escape), and their capability to penetrate air defense (especially based on supersonic interceptors and surface-to-air missiles).
And then Saunders-Roe, the half-forgotten builder of flying boats appeared on scene, and suggested a radical new solution: a bomber fleet, composed of jet-powered flying boats.
The idea initially looked fairly absurd, but Saunders-Roe pointed about several important advantages of such unorthodox concept:
* Firstly, the flying boat force could be easily dispersed - and thus protected from the danger of being destroyed by enemy surprize attack. While land-based bombers were always forced to rely on large (and thus costly & vulnerable) air bases for deployment, the flying boats required only enough stretch of reasonably calm water. There were more than enough small harbors, bays and lakes on British Isles to disperse bombers along them; no realistic enemy attack could possibly hit them all.
* Secondly, the flying boat force would be able to continue to operate even if all British air bases were knocked out. A number of support ships, carrying supplies of fuel, ammunition and spare parts could be easily dispersed, camouflaged among the civilian traffic and removed from danger, thus ensuring that bombers capability to operate continuously
* Thirdly, the flying boat force could be easily relocated to any area of friendly coastline - either to escape the enemy strikes, or to move close to targets. While the bombers flying from Britain would need to have excessive range to strike targets deep in Eastern Block, the amphibious bombers could be launched from Mediterranean or Norway coastlines.
The Saunders-Roe conceded, that flying boats would inevitably have worse flight characteristics than land-based bombers. But they argued, that its impossible anyway to improve land-based bomber capabilities enough, to guarantee their safety from interceptors and surface-to-air missiles. Instead, they postulated that future bomber force should rely on electronic counter-measures, decoys and standoff weapons to ensure safe approach toward the targets. While bombers themselves could always be improved only to some marginal degree, the bomber-launched weapons could easily be improved enough to compete with any improvement in air defenses.
The military and the government were initially skeptical, but soon their opinion changed. The first reason for such was a sucsessfull test flight of Martin Seamaster flying boat bomber in 1955. It clearly demonstrated, that the whole concept was at least viable, and possibly even promising. The second reason was a demonstration of Mig-21 interceptor aircraft on Tushino airfield in 1956; the futuristic appearance of Mach 2 Soviet interceptor put into doubt the future of V-force. The third reason was Suez Crisis in late 1956, that finally made Britain realize, how dangerously vulnerable it is to the possibility of ballistic missile attacks. And thus the Saunders-Roe proposal was quickly pushed forward.
The 1960s Joint Air-Navy Deterrence Force (JAND Force) was based around large transsonic flying boat bomber, descending from early 1950s Saunders-Roe Duchess project and designed with the technical help from Martin Company. It was capable of about 2000 km combat range with two Avro Blue Steel standoff missiles as payload, and about 900 km/h maximum speed. The tanker version, equipped for aerial refueling, was deployed also.
In the peacetime, the bombers were based in squadrons on major naval bases; one squadron was always dispersed to ensure survivability against sudden attacks. In case of military threat, the JAND force dispersed across the multiple "dispersion & survival areas". A large number of old Navy auxilary ships and amphibious crafts were moored in small bays, harbors and lakes across the coasts of Irish Sea and Western Scotland. Manned by skeleton crews, those floating bases were supposed to provide dispersed bombers with fuel, technical support, rocket boosters for launch in case of rough weather.
In addition to coastal bases, several mobile JAND support fleets - centered around former light carriers "Theseus", "Perseus" and "Leviathan", reconstructed into flying boat maintenance and supply ships - were deplyed in sea. In case of war, those mobile support fleets would provide refueling, rearming and repair capabilities to the JAND bomber squadron. They also were employed in case of JAND squadrons redeployment in the other areas of the world - like Mediterranean or Pacific Ocean (as deterrence against China).
For penetration of air defenses, JAND bombers relied heavily on the extensive use of ECMs, air-launched decoy missiles (carefully designed to imitate the bomber signature on Soviet radars) and standoff weaponry. The Blue Steel missile was chosen as intermediate solution but the change for the American-delivered long-range missiles (either ballistic GAM-87 Skybolt, or AGM-28 Hound Dog) was already planned.
And then Saunders-Roe, the half-forgotten builder of flying boats appeared on scene, and suggested a radical new solution: a bomber fleet, composed of jet-powered flying boats.
The idea initially looked fairly absurd, but Saunders-Roe pointed about several important advantages of such unorthodox concept:
* Firstly, the flying boat force could be easily dispersed - and thus protected from the danger of being destroyed by enemy surprize attack. While land-based bombers were always forced to rely on large (and thus costly & vulnerable) air bases for deployment, the flying boats required only enough stretch of reasonably calm water. There were more than enough small harbors, bays and lakes on British Isles to disperse bombers along them; no realistic enemy attack could possibly hit them all.
* Secondly, the flying boat force would be able to continue to operate even if all British air bases were knocked out. A number of support ships, carrying supplies of fuel, ammunition and spare parts could be easily dispersed, camouflaged among the civilian traffic and removed from danger, thus ensuring that bombers capability to operate continuously
* Thirdly, the flying boat force could be easily relocated to any area of friendly coastline - either to escape the enemy strikes, or to move close to targets. While the bombers flying from Britain would need to have excessive range to strike targets deep in Eastern Block, the amphibious bombers could be launched from Mediterranean or Norway coastlines.
The Saunders-Roe conceded, that flying boats would inevitably have worse flight characteristics than land-based bombers. But they argued, that its impossible anyway to improve land-based bomber capabilities enough, to guarantee their safety from interceptors and surface-to-air missiles. Instead, they postulated that future bomber force should rely on electronic counter-measures, decoys and standoff weapons to ensure safe approach toward the targets. While bombers themselves could always be improved only to some marginal degree, the bomber-launched weapons could easily be improved enough to compete with any improvement in air defenses.
The military and the government were initially skeptical, but soon their opinion changed. The first reason for such was a sucsessfull test flight of Martin Seamaster flying boat bomber in 1955. It clearly demonstrated, that the whole concept was at least viable, and possibly even promising. The second reason was a demonstration of Mig-21 interceptor aircraft on Tushino airfield in 1956; the futuristic appearance of Mach 2 Soviet interceptor put into doubt the future of V-force. The third reason was Suez Crisis in late 1956, that finally made Britain realize, how dangerously vulnerable it is to the possibility of ballistic missile attacks. And thus the Saunders-Roe proposal was quickly pushed forward.
The 1960s Joint Air-Navy Deterrence Force (JAND Force) was based around large transsonic flying boat bomber, descending from early 1950s Saunders-Roe Duchess project and designed with the technical help from Martin Company. It was capable of about 2000 km combat range with two Avro Blue Steel standoff missiles as payload, and about 900 km/h maximum speed. The tanker version, equipped for aerial refueling, was deployed also.
In the peacetime, the bombers were based in squadrons on major naval bases; one squadron was always dispersed to ensure survivability against sudden attacks. In case of military threat, the JAND force dispersed across the multiple "dispersion & survival areas". A large number of old Navy auxilary ships and amphibious crafts were moored in small bays, harbors and lakes across the coasts of Irish Sea and Western Scotland. Manned by skeleton crews, those floating bases were supposed to provide dispersed bombers with fuel, technical support, rocket boosters for launch in case of rough weather.
In addition to coastal bases, several mobile JAND support fleets - centered around former light carriers "Theseus", "Perseus" and "Leviathan", reconstructed into flying boat maintenance and supply ships - were deplyed in sea. In case of war, those mobile support fleets would provide refueling, rearming and repair capabilities to the JAND bomber squadron. They also were employed in case of JAND squadrons redeployment in the other areas of the world - like Mediterranean or Pacific Ocean (as deterrence against China).
For penetration of air defenses, JAND bombers relied heavily on the extensive use of ECMs, air-launched decoy missiles (carefully designed to imitate the bomber signature on Soviet radars) and standoff weaponry. The Blue Steel missile was chosen as intermediate solution but the change for the American-delivered long-range missiles (either ballistic GAM-87 Skybolt, or AGM-28 Hound Dog) was already planned.
