United Kingdom Aerospace and Weapons Projects

011103 L = length, S = span, W = weight, R = range, Ø = diameter

Name

Description

Remarks

Particulars

Ahead

Air defence and reporting system to replace ROTOR.

Based around the AMES Type 85 Blue Yeoman radar. Became Linesman.

N/A

Ally

Anglo-American conference on air defence.

Held at Old Sarum in 1953.

N/A

AMETS

Artillery MEteorological System

Marconi weather balloon system to aid artillery direction.

N/A

Apollo

Flight planning computer.

Installed at Prestwick. Not a success.

N/A

Argus

Computer for Bloodhound 21system.

The Argus was housed in the LCP (Launch Control Point) on a Bloodhound 21 Missile Section.

N/A

ASTRID

Airborne System Target Recognition Identification and Designation

BAE Systems / Thales targeting and reconnaissance pod based on Joanna.

N/A

Bar

Anti-tank mine

Entered service.

N/A

BL.755

Cluster bomb.

Carries 147 bomblets. Entered service in 1972. To be replaced with Brimstone.

L = 8ft (2.44m) W=600lb (272kg)

Black Arrows

111 Sqdn display team.

Used black Hunters. Superseded by the Red Arrows.

N/A

Blue Bishop

Portable 2.5MW nuclear powerplant.

Previously called Green Janet. See Green Janet.

N/A

Blue Circle

Spoof code name for concrete ballast in Tornado F.2. First installed in the Buccaneer while awaiting Blue Parrot.

Highly unofficial usage. Delays on GEC Marconi Foxhunter required use of ballast to maintain CoG

N/A

Blue Eagles

Army Air Corps display team.

Initially with Sioux, currently Gazelles and Lynx.

N/A

Blue Gum

Search procedure for lost submarine contact.

N/A

N/A

Blue Oak

Super-computer at AWRE Aldermaston.

Used to simulate nuclear explosions. Capable of 3 trillion calculations per second.

N/A

Blue Ranger

Blue Steel carrying trials flights to Australia.

Delivered 18 weapons to the Woomera range.

N/A

Blue Stone

Unit 710 Neutron initiator for Green Grass warhead in Yellow Sun Mk1

Used in Yellow Sun Mk1 500Kt bomb

N/A

Bowman

Tactical radio.

For British Army.

N/A

CANDLE

Tritium extraction plant at Capenhurst.

Used to extract Tritium from fusion weapons while being serviced.

N/A

Carousel

Inertial Navigation System

Fitted to Vickers VC10 and Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R.1

N/A

Cascade

NPL supersonic VTOL project.

Based on an idea from Barnes Wallis

N/A

Clansman

Army tactical radio.

In service in British Army vehicles.

N/A

Corsair

Sound surveillance system.

Used for detecting Soviet submarine movement. Similar to, but less ambitious than SOSUS. Not deployed.

N/A

Dazzle

Re-entry vehicle trials at Woomera

Black Knight used to launch re-entry vehicles. Idea was to retain the capability to design and build RVs.

N/A

Dingbat

Anti-personnel mine No7.

N/A

N/A

Fancy

High Test Peroxide fuelled torpedo.

Contributed to the sinking of HMS Sidon. Cancelled 1955.

N/A

Fido

Ant-submarine torpedo.

May be a WW2 project.

N/A

FINRAE

FE541 Ferranti Inertial Rapid Alignment Equipment

Portable INS alignment system for use by Harrier GR3s at sea.

N/A

Gaslight

Re-entry vehicle tracking trials at Woomera

Black Knight used to launch re-entry vehicles

N/A

GEPUS

Computer simulator for Red Duster

Ferranti computer used for missile aerodynamics analysis

N/A

Giant Viper

Mine clearance system

Explosive filled hose fired across minefield by a rocket-propelled tug. Entered service.

N/A

GL.161

Computer for AN/TPS-34 radar.

Used by RAF

N/A

Gloworm

Illumination flare rocket for Buccaneer.

Based on the 3in rocket.

N/A

Green Garland

Fuselage side of Blue Jay.

N/A

N/A

Green Goddess

Military fire engine based on a Bedford truck chassis

Formerly part of the Civil Defence preparations in the 1950s, but kept in store for emergencies such as a strike by fire fighters. May be a colloquial name.

N/A

Green Janet

Portable nuclear powerplant.

There was a requirement for a 2.5MW powerplant to provide power in remote or devastated areas. Not proceeded with. Name changed to Blue Bishop.

Output = 2.5MW.

Green Minnow

Radiometer.

Multiline pictures.

N/A

GW.20

Conical re-entry test vehicle

Used in Dazzle trials.

N/A

Havian

Mentioned in a Controller (Aircraft) report along with MRCA, Jaguar and Anglo/French helicopters.

May allude to the Hawk and Harrier projects.

N/A

HB.876

Submunition for JP.233.

Entered service but banned under the Ottawa Protocol.

N/A

HELEN

AWRE laser simulation system

Replaces nuclear test in the development of nuclear weapons. Commissioned in 1979.

N/A

Helmet

UK / Canada ABM system project study.

Explosive pellets fired into path of incoming RVs.

N/A

ISC3

Marconi Integrated Communications System.

Fitted to Royal Navy warships.

N/A

ISIS

Ferranti Integrated Strike and Intercept System

Weapons sight fitted to export Hawks

N/A

Jezebel

Air dropped Sonobouy.

N/A

N/A

Joanna

BAE Systems / Thales targeting and reconnaissance pod

Used as the basis for ASTRID pod.

N/A

L1

RAF designation for Hunting BL.755 Cluster bomb.

Carries 147 bomblets. Entered service in 1972. To be replaced by Brimstone.

L = 8ft (2.44m) W=600lb (272kg)

Lepus

Target illumination flare.

Descended on parachute after being tossed on to target area.

N/A

MADGE

Portable Instrument Approach System to AST.544.

Designed and built by MEL.

N/A

Mallard

Tactical trunk communications system

US / UK/ Canada and Australian collaborative project.

N/A

Matador

Loral (now BAE Systems) AN/ALQ-204 (IRCM) Infra-Red Counter Measures system

Fitted to RAF VIP VC10 transports in the early 1980s.

N/A

Mogul

Radiographic system built at Aldermaston.

Used to X-ray materials during simulated nuclear tests using Helen laser.

N/A

NP.169

Swingfire guidance system

Provision of equipment to provide SACLOS (semi-automatic command to line of sight) system for Swingfire. Not proceeded with and cancelled circa 1967.

N/A

Pegasus

Ferranti computer programme to analyse missile trajectories.

For ABM research.

N/A

Pranger

Fuse for Seaslug Mk.1

Entered service.

N/A

Project R

Armstrong Siddeley rocket projects.

Probably an in-house name.

N/A

Project X

Armstrong Siddeley turbojet project.

N/A

Rated at 15000lb (66.7KN).

Project Y

Avro VTOL fighter.

Transferred to Avro Canada. Used a Radial Flow Gas Turbine.

N/A

Ptarmigan

Army radio system.

N/A

N/A

Ranger

Anti-personnel mine

Entered service

N/A

Red Arrows

RAF display team.

"Official" display team of the RAF since the late 60s. Initially with Gnats, currently with Hawks.

N/A

Red Dragon

Aircraft repair and upgrade project.

Work undertaken at RAF St Athan by the Defence Aircraft Repair Agency.

N/A

Red Elsie

Ground bursting anti-personnel mine.

Developed in conjunction with Canada (called Elsie).

N/A

Red Goddess

Colloquial name for modern fire engines used by the UK Military during the 2002 fire fighters strike.

See Green Goddess. Dreamed up by tabloid journalists to describe engines from Home Office training centres.

N/A

Replica

BAe stealth aircraft study.

Ongoing project study investigating low observable technology. Linked to the FOAS studies to ST (A) 425.

N/A

SAT

Service Acceptance Trials

Red Duster trials for RAF.

N/A

SCOT

Marconi satellite communications system.

Fitted to Royal Navy warships.

N/A

Sea Archer 30

Naval gunnery director

Export version of Gun System, Automatic Mk8. Based on the Rapier Electro-Optical sighting system.

N/A

SG.357

Anti-Runway submunition for JP.233.

Withdrawn under Ottawa Protocol.

N/A

Sparta

Re-entry vehicle tests.

Associated with Dazzle and Blue Streak development.

N/A

TIALD

B.Ae Thermal Imaging And Laser Designator

All weather targeting system for Panavia Tornado GR.1 and GR.4

N/A

Uncle Tom

11.75" rocket projectile

Possibly for use against ships.

Ø = 11.75in (29.5cm)

Violet Banner

IR seeker for Red Top.

Entered service.

N/A

X-3

BAC Satellite

Technology demonstrator. Launched on Black Arrow.

N/A

Yellow Duckling

IR submarine detection system.

N/A

N/A