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In a word. No.The spec for Blue Streak never referred to Australia. Only the term 'world-wide' was used, and that was qualified by adding 'the Middle East' and 'Singapore'. Although friends, allies, and almost kissing cousins, Australian security policy was not the concern of the UK MoD, but of the Australians. The Blue Streak requirement was written with only British security concerns in mind, and that's how it should be IMO.There never, ever, was a 'joint nuclear project' between the UK and Australia. Some may regret that, but that is how it was.All there ever was was an agreement over test sites and test facilities for nuclear tests. Australians had no access to the test results other than the minimum required for the Australian Government to be able to honestly reassure the Australian public that the tests were not a danger to them. Australia had no input to the scientific or engineering effort to mount the tests, that were specifically restricted to fission devices. Thermonuclear weapon tests were specifically barred. Which is why the UK looked to Christmas Island. When negotiations for an atmospheric test ban treaty got under way, Australia was not interested in providing underground nuclear test facilities on Australian soil, and a global search for suitable locations got under way, (including sites in the UK) as described in Project Orpheus files in the National Archives.
In a word. No.
The spec for Blue Streak never referred to Australia. Only the term 'world-wide' was used, and that was qualified by adding 'the Middle East' and 'Singapore'. Although friends, allies, and almost kissing cousins, Australian security policy was not the concern of the UK MoD, but of the Australians. The Blue Streak requirement was written with only British security concerns in mind, and that's how it should be IMO.
There never, ever, was a 'joint nuclear project' between the UK and Australia. Some may regret that, but that is how it was.
All there ever was was an agreement over test sites and test facilities for nuclear tests. Australians had no access to the test results other than the minimum required for the Australian Government to be able to honestly reassure the Australian public that the tests were not a danger to them. Australia had no input to the scientific or engineering effort to mount the tests, that were specifically restricted to fission devices. Thermonuclear weapon tests were specifically barred. Which is why the UK looked to Christmas Island. When negotiations for an atmospheric test ban treaty got under way, Australia was not interested in providing underground nuclear test facilities on Australian soil, and a global search for suitable locations got under way, (including sites in the UK) as described in Project Orpheus files in the National Archives.
