Hmmm....
Pulling the plug on the CV Fleet there and then in '57, means no further funding for Buccaneer, or purchase orders for Scimitar, or indeed Sea Vixen. TSR.2 becomes even more the 'be all and end all' of new fast jet projects and only Lightning remains.
That's a lot of savings, and a lot of jobs down the tube unless the industry is turned over to some other tasks.
There is the question of whether shorn of the stigma of an RN order, the Buccaneer can garner some RAF orders, arguably as an 'interim' solution. But that seems to detract from their wonderplane, so seems unlikely.
Well we have the various missile projects, the later PT.428.
Lacking Scimitar could we see the Fairey Sea-Skimmer anti-ship missile?
We also have the various surface-to-surface missiles, and air-to-surface missiles for the RAF, mainly centered around the Deterrent.
Then we have the ABM studies.
We have various transport aircraft, including the rotordyne.
And we have the Hypersonic research studies. Notably Er.181. But also the whole P.10 saga.
Oh and something called the P1127.....
Anything else?
Well it does seem a shame the 3"/70 did'nt see a single gun turrent variant for example, and there is the CFS mk2 which was interesting.
Oh yes, the 'legal' bit, which is that I'm not saying any or all of this will be forthcoming, however it will be looked at at the time and considered in the light of the lack of the RN CV fleet and the released funds and industrial capacity.
