United Kingdom Aerospace and Weapons Projects

100403 L = length, S = span, W = weight, R = range, Ø = diameter

Name

Description

Remarks

Particulars

AD4

Army tactical control radar

Used by light air defence units. Not air portable. Used S band

R = 75miles (121km) Peak power = 1MW.

AD10

AMES (Air Ministry Experimental Station) Type 86 Indigo Corkscrew Continuous Wave Target Illumination Radar in Army service.

Entered service with the English Electric Thunderbird II and later used for Bloodhound II.

R= 115miles (185km)

AD11

AMES Type 88 Surveillance element of the Green Ginger / Thunderbird II system

Air portable, exported as S330. Known to troops as "Big Ears".

N/A

AD12

Height finding element of Green Ginger / Thunderbird II system.

Air portable, exported as S404. Known to troops as "Noddy".

N/A

AD.580

GEC Doppler navigation system.

Fitted to Sea King

N/A

AI.17

Decca Doppler navigation equipment for Naval fighters.

Also known as Yellow Lemon

N/A

AI.18

GEC Air Interception radar to OR.3576.

Used in Sea Vixen.

N/A

AI.20

Green Willow X-band AI radar for single seat fighters.

Limited capability. Developed as a back up for AI.23. Abandoned due to success of AI.23. Re-emerged as Red Steer.

Used X-band.

AI.23

Ferranti Air Interception radar

Intended for Fairey Delta II fighter to spec F.155. Later used on Lightning as Airpass I.

Used the I-band.

AI.24

GEC- Marconi Foxhunter radar for Tornado F.2 / 3

See Blue Circle.

N/A

AI.25

Air Interception radar.

Proposed for updated Sea Vixen in lieu of RN P.1154.

N/A

Airpass I

Ferranti air interception radar.

AI.23 as fitted to Lightning interceptor. Known as ARI.5897.

Used the I-band.

Airpass II

Radar fitted to the Buccaneer.

Also known as Blue Parrot and ARI.5390. Automatic contour following strike radar. Entered service.

Used the I-band.

AN/TPS-34

Tactical control radar

Air portable, used by RAF. Associated with the GL.161 computer system. Housed in an inflatable dome.

L - Band, 1.2 - 1.3 GHz. Peak power - 5000KW

ARGUS

AEW system fitted to Nimrod AEW.3.

Cancelled. Boeing E-3D Sentry purchased.

N/A

ASTOR

Airborne Stand-Off Radar

Battlefield surveillance system to provide UK forces with a JSTARS type capability. Fitted in a Global Express bizjet. Called Sentinel in RAF service.

N/A

AW.591

Search radar

For Sea King

N/A

Bellhop

Datalink for the AN/APS-20 AEW radar.

Fitted to Fairey Gannet AEW.3. Transmitted the radar picture to the carrier ops room.

N/A

Big Ears

Colloquial name for AD11, the AMES Type 88 Surveillance element of the Green Ginger / Thunderbird II system.

Air portable, exported as S330. Known to troops as "Big Ears".

R= 115miles (185km).

Black Maria

FIS interrogator for IFF system.

Used AI radar in X and S bands.

N/A

Blindfire

Tracking radar for Rapier.

Used on Rapier Field Standard C and Jernas. Designated DN.181.

N/A

Blue Anchor

Type 87 X-band CW tracking and Target Illumination Radar for Bloodhound.

Used on fixed based Bloodhounds. Replaced Yellow River TIR. Exported as Scorpion. Possible TIR for Blue Envoy Stage 13/4 SAGW.

Operated at 10GHz.

Blue Boy

Speech secrecy over VHF.

C.1956.

N/A

Blue Cedar

AA No3 Mk7 radar or fire control system.

Used for Brakemine. Built by British Thompson Houston.

X-band, Range = 40miles (64km)

Blue Devil

T.4 bombsight.

Drift and ground speed from Green Satin.

N/A

Blue Diamond

AA No7 Radar.

Used to control Bofors guns for Rugger Scrum. Later became the radar element of Yellow Fever. Built by EMI Engineering Division.

Range = 9.7miles (15.5km)

Blue Diver

UHF barrage noise jammer for V-bombers.

Entered service as ARI 18075. Replaced Green Palm.

Metric range (300 - 400MHz)

Blue Eric

Harrier ECM pod c.1982.

Crash programme for Falklands War.

N/A

Blue Falcon

Demonstration radar developed by Ferranti.

Became Blue Vixen.

N/A

Blue Fox

Air Interception radar for Sea Harrier FRS.1

Entered service.

N/A

Blue Hawk

GEC-Marconi Multimode radar

Offered as a retrofit on aircraft upgrade projects

N/A

Blue Jacket

Air data navigation computer for Buccaneer.

Used Doppler radar.

N/A

Blue Joker

Balloon borne S-band radar system for low level threats from early 1950s.

See Orange Poodle. Originally called AMES Type 87.

Operated at 3GHz with peak power of 600KW.

Blue Kestrel

Radar of Merlin ASW Helicopter.

Entered service.

N/A

Blue Label

Development radar for the Stage 2 air defence system.

Being developed by Marconi. Cancelled with Stage 2 in 1957. May be called AMES Type 84 and be related to Naval Type 984.

Operated in L-band.

Blue Lagoon

IR equipment for detecting aircraft in flight.

N/A

N/A

Blue Orchid

Doppler navigation equipment for helicopters.

Used by anti-submarine Westland Wessex.

N/A

Blue Parrot

Radar fitted to the Buccaneer.

Also known as Airpass II and ARI.5390. Automatic contour following strike radar. Entered service.

Used I-band.

Blue Riband

Biggest, highest power, air defence radar in the UK. Intended to acquire targets for Stage 2 SAGW.

Was designed to beat carcinotron jamming. Leading to Blue Yeoman. Cancelled with Stage 2 active homing SAM.

N/A

Blue Saga

RWR for Vulcan.

Entered service as ART 18105.

N/A

Blue Sapphire

Star sighting astro-navigation system.

Not proceeded with. Possibly leading to Orange Tartan.

N/A

Blue Shadow

ARI 5856 SLAR for Canberra.

Fitted to No.51 Squadron English Electric Canberra B.6 used for Elint duties. Also possibly known as APQ-13.

Operated in the X-band.

Blue Silk

Improved Green Satin.

Doppler Navigation radar for nuclear strike Supermarine Scimitar, English Electric Canberra and Avro Shackleton. Used 1955 -75 X-band Doppler navigator.

N/A

Blue Study

Automatic blind bombing system.

Used the Cat/Mouse computer method.

N/A

Blue Sugar

Air droppable radio beacon.

N/A

N/A

Blue Tit

Possible early name for Sea Spray radar

Probably an early in-house Ferranti name.

N/A

Blue Vixen

Air Interception radar for Sea Harrier FRS.2.

Entered service.

N/A

Blue Warrior

Jammer for use against VT fused artillery shells.

Tested at Fort Dill. Mounted on a Saracen APC.

N/A

Blue Yeoman

AMES Type 85. Advanced version of Orange Yeoman (q.v.) 3D tactical control and early warning radar.

High power and anti-jamming capability. Proposed for Violet Friend ABM system. Later used for Early Warning. Blue Riband transmitter on an Orange Yeoman aerial. Entered service.

Operated at 2.75 / 3.25GHz with peak power of 54MW.

Brahms

Mid-course guidance system for Stage 1 3/4 SAM

Developed by RAE for Blue Envoy.

N/A

Captor

Multimode radar

Fitted to the Eurofighter Typhoon

N/A

CASTOR

Corps Airborne Stand-Off Radar

Battlefield surveillance system to provide UK forces with a JSTARS type capability. Used a Skymaster radar. Low level tests in a Defender, high level tests in a Canberra.

N/A

Cerberus

Thales AEW system for the Sea King ASaC Mk.7

Uses Searchwater 2000 AEW radar.

N/A

Cervantes

Gun and mortar location radar.

A more powerful version of Cymbeline. Scrapped due to development difficulties.

N/A

Claribel

Radar GS No20 Mk1. Hostile fire indicator radar.

Vehicle mounted. Used microwave Doppler system for detecting the direction of bullets. Deployed in N. Ireland.

N/A

Cymbeline

Thorn EMI Radar FA No15 Mortar locating radar.

Entered service on FV.436 personnel carrier. Replaced by MAMBA.

N/A

Dagger

Target Acquisition radar for Rapier SAM

Used on Rapier Field Standard C.

N/A

DN.181

Blindfire radar for Rapier.

Entered service.

N/A

DSI

Radar absorbent material

Developed and in production by 1953.

To counter S-band radar

DXI

Radar absorbent material

Developed and in production by 1951.

To counter X-band radar

Firelight

On mobile Bloodhound II. Also known as AMES Type 86 Indigo Corkscrew.

Target Illumination Radar for English Electric Thunderbird II and Bristol Bloodhound II.

Operated In X-band

Flange

Passive radar warning receiver.

Related to Yellow Barley.

N/A

Foxhunter

GEC- Marconi AI Mk.24 radar for Tornado F.2 / 3

See Blue Circle.

N/A

GF75

Plessey Panther surveillance radar.

Intended for the Guardian SAM system.

N/A

Green Apple

Window for drift measurement over sea.

N/A

N/A

Green Archer

Radar FA No8 Mortar location radar.

X-band radar based on Blue Diamond. Built by EMI, prototype mounted on FV436 APC, but service version towed. Replaced by Cymbeline

Range = capable of detecting a 3" mortar bomb at 4.5miles (7.3km)

Green Bottle

Device for homing on U-boat signals.

N/A

N/A

Green Garlic

AMES Type 80 radar.

Long Range Early Warning radar. An L-band version became the Type 84 for Stage 2 air defence.

Operated at 3GHz with a peak power of 1MW.

Green Ginger

AMES Type 88 Tactical Control Radar and Type 89 height finder radar for Thunderbird II / VR.725.

Conferred improved capability to the Thunderbird. Called AD11 and AD12 in Army service.

Type 88 operated in L and S - band at 1.3 - 3GHz. Peak power - 2000KW . Type 89 operated in C - band at 3GHz, peak power - 750KW.

Green Hammock

Doppler navigation for low-altitude bombing.

N/A

N/A

Green Palm

Early VHF jammer for V-force.

Entered service.

N/A

Green Salad

UHF homer for Hunter and Buccaneer.

N/A

N/A

Green Satin

Self contained Doppler Navigation aid for V-bombers.

Also fitted to Elint English Electric Canberras of 51 Squadron.

N/A

Green Thistle

IR homing incorporating Blue Sapphire and Blue Lagoon.

N/A

N/A

Green Walnut

Blind bombing equipment for Eureka and Blue Study.

N/A

N/A

Green Willow

AI.20 X-band AI radar for single seat fighters.

Limited capability. Developed as a back up for AI.23. Abandoned due to success of AI.23. Re-emerged as Red Steer.

Used X-band.

Hermes

Marconi Space and Defence Systems Rear Hemisphere Warning Receiver

Fitted to Tornado F.3

N/A

Indigo Bracket

OR.3518 Centimetric jamming system that used carcinotron valves.

Fitted to V-bombers.

N/A

Indigo Corkscrew

AMES Type 86 Continuous wave target illumination radar.

Entered service with the Bristol Bloodhound II and English Electric Thunderbird II. Also exported as Firelight and called AD.10 in Army service.

N/A

Jade River

Continuous wave homing radar.

Development of Indigo Corkscrew.

Operated at 16GHz

Katie

ESM system.

Incorporated into MEL Sky Searcher radar.

N/A

Kestrel

Racal lightweight electronic warfare suite.

Tested in a B-N Defender

N/A

MAMBA

Mortar location radar.

Replacement for Cymbeline, based on Swedish ArtHuR.

N/A

Marec

MEL maritime surveillance radar

Fitted to BAe Coastguarder (748) and Dornier Skyservant

N/A

NGFR

Next Generation Fighter Radar

Ferranti radar project leading to Captor for Typhoon.

N/A

Noddy

Colloquial name for AD12, the AMES Type 89 Height finding element of Thunderbird II system.

Air portable, exported as S404. Known to troops as "Noddy".

N/A

NOMAD

Mobile Tactical Air Control system

Developed by BAC, Elliot and Plessey.

N/A

Norman

Mortar locating radar

Experimental mortar locating radar. Two parabolic dishes mounted back to back.

N/A

Notorious

Ferranti Type 984 radar.

Naval radar intended for aircraft carriers.

N/A

Orange Blossom

ESM on Hercules.

Entered service.

N/A

Orange Cocktail

Homing radar weapon and scanner.

Experimental.

N/A

Orange Crop

ESM for Lynx

Racal MIR-2 system. Entered service

N/A

Orange Harvest

Passive maritime ESM.

Entered service on Westland Lynx.

N/A

Orange Pippin

Light Anti-Aircraft fire control radar.

Built by Ferranti.

Range = 2 miles (3.2Km)

Orange Poodle

Low altitude radar system.

A 1952 project for a low altitude early warning system. Developed with Wealth. Used ground wave propagation. Only two stations were convertible. Both tested at Downberry in Cornwall. Supposed to replace Chain Home Low stations. Also mentions Red Cabbage and Blue Joker qv.

Using HF surface wave in the 5 - 15MHz range.

Orange Putter

Tail warning radar on V-bombers.

Also possibly fitted to electronic intelligence English Electric Canberras of 51 Squadron.

N/A

Orange Reaper

ESM on Royal Navy Merlin.

Entered service.

N/A

Orange Tartan

Automatic day and night astro-navigation aid.

See Blue Sapphire.

N/A

Orange Toffee

Continuous Wave TIR for Blue Envoy

Designed by British Thompson Houston.

N/A

Orange Yeoman

AMES Type 82 3D tactical control radar for Bloodhound.

Used on Bloodhound Mk1 system. Installed at North Coates, Watton, Lindholme and North Luffenham. Leading to Blue Yeoman.

Operated at 3GHz with peak power of 1MW.

Panther

Plessey GF75 surveillance radar.

Intended for the Guardian SAM system.

N/A

Possum

Low Altitude Air Defence radar.

Development of Rapier search radar.

3.1-3.3GHz

Prowler

Marconi Infantry Radar

Used for ground surveillance.

J-band. 250mW

Rapier

Racal search radar for ET.316 Rapier SAM.

Entered service with Rapier SAM system.

R = 7.5miles (12km)

RAPTOR

Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for TORnado.

Entered service.

L=15ft (4.5m) Ø = 3ft (0.9m)

Red Brick

CW development radar for Bloodhound II by Ferranti.

Resulted in Indigo Corkscrew.

N/A

Red Cabbage

See Orange Poodle.

Experimental coherent phase integration radar to detect small targets in sea clutter.

N/A

Red Carpet

X-band jammer.

Designed by RRE circa 1958.

N/A

Red Devil

Proposed bombing system.

Used Red Setter and Green Satin. Early 1950s. Not proceeded with.

N/A

Red Drover

SLAR as specified for OR.330.

To be fitted to the R.156T / OR.330 aircraft.

X-band

Red Flannel

Q band H2S.

Using long fixed aerials with narrow azimuth.

N/A

Red Fox

Re-packaged, export version of Blue Fox.

For non-Sea Harrier applications.

N/A

Red Garter

Tail warning device for V-bombers.

Not operational. Provided audio warning from tail warning radar. Replaced by Orange Putter.

N/A

Red Indian

Light Anti-Aircraft Artillery control radar.

Mounted on Bofors guns. Built by EMIED, but not put into production.

Range = 9.7miles (15.5km)

Red Light

ECM system for V-bombers. Search - lock - jam X-band jammer.

Scanned the X-band for threats, locked on to signal and jammed. Intended for use by Handley Page Victor Mk.2 against AI radars. Entered service as ARI 18146.

X-band, 9GHz

Red Neck

OR.3593 High-resolution radar reconnaissance system.

Was fitted underwing on Handley Page Victor but did not enter service.

N/A

Red Robin

CW radar for RAF Thunderbird II.

May have been Red Brick in a static installation. RAF ordered Thunderbird II due to Bloodhound II poor performance.

N/A

Red Setter

Experimental SLAR for V-bombers.

Interim to Red Drover q.v. To be used with Red Cheeks. Used a forerunner of the Yellow Aster recorder. High definition pictures, but limited range.

Operated on Q-band.

Red Shrimp

Barrage noise jammer for long range detection radars.

ECM equipment for Avro Vulcan. Fitted on starboard engine nacelle and both nacelles of Blue Steel aircraft. ARI 18076 and ARI 18025.

Centimetric range, 2.5 - 3.5GHz

Red Steer

Rearward looking radar for V-bombers.

Replaced Orange Putter. Entered service as ARI 5952. Development of AI.20 Green Willow.

Used X-band.

Robert

Radar GS No19 battlefield surveillance radar.

Mounted on the Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier.

N/A

S259

Tactical control radar.

Air portable, used by RAF. Re-engineered version of the UPS-1 for airlift by Wessex.

L - Band, 1.2 - 1.3 GHz. Peak Power - 1000KW

Sandra

Related to Zinnia.

Short-term project to track Soviet missile tests. Can detect object in beam and velocity.

N/A

Scorpion

Name for Blue Anchor TIR for export Bloodhound.

Normally used in fixed installations. Entered service. Developed by AEI.

Operated in I/J-band

Searchwater

Radar fitted to Nimrod MR.2 and Sea King AEW.2

Used as airborne early warning radar in Royal Navy Sea Kings.

N/A

Sea Owl

GEC Marconi thermal imager

Fitted to Royal Navy Lynx.

N/A

Sea Searcher

Radar for Sea King HAS.5

Entered Service.

Used the I-band

Sea Spray

Ferranti radar on Naval Lynx

Target detection and Guidance for Sea Skua ASM and Harpoon SSM.

N/A

Sentinel

RAF service name for the ASTOR system.

Battlefield surveillance system to provide UK forces with a JSTARS type capability. Fitted in a Global Express bizjet. Entering service with 5 Sqdn in 2005.

N/A

Skymaster

RACAL airborne surveillance radar.

Fitted to a Britten-Norman Defender for AEW trials

N/A

Skyranger

GEC-Marconi Air-to-air radar

Intended for the Chinese F-7M Fighter

N/A

Sky Searcher

MEL airborne radar

AEW version of Sea Searcher. With integrated Katie ESM system. Led to Super Searcher.

Used I-band

Sky Shadow (1950s)

Experimental Reconnaissance radar.

Essentially Blue Shadow connected to an experimental CRT display with photographic recorder.

1954, trials in a RRF Canberra.

Sky Shadow (1990s)

ECM equipment.

Fitted to strike Tornadoes.

N/A

Sting Ray

Also known as Yellow River.

AMES Type 83 Target Illumination Radar for English Electric Thunderbird I and Bristol Bloodhound I.

N/A

Super Searcher

MEL search radar

Supplied on Sea Kings for the Indian Navy. Improved Sea Searcher.

Used the I-band.

Super Skyranger

GEC-Marconi Air-to-air radar

Intended for the Chinese F-7MG Fighter. Pulsed-Doppler radar.

N/A

TFR

Terrain Following Radar for TSR.2.

Ferranti development of Blue Parrot.

N/A

UPS-1

Tactical control radar

Air portable, used by RAF.

L - Band, 1.2 - 1.3 GHz. Peak power - 1000KW

Verify

Use of Jodrell Bank to detect ballistic missiles.

Superseded by advent of BMEWS: (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System) at Fylingdales.

N/A

Violet Picture

Plessey UHF homing system.

Fitted to Westland Whirlwind, Hawker Hunter and De Havilland Sea Vixen.

N/A

Wavell

Command Control and communication system for British Army.

Fitted to on FV435 variant of the FV432 personnel carrier.

N/A

Wealth

Low altitude radar system.

A 1952 project for a low altitude early warning system. Developed with Orange Poodle. Used ground wave propagation. Both tested at Downberry in Cornwall. Also mentions Red Cabbage and Blue Joker qv.

N/A

Winkle

Passive tracking system.

Used to detect and locate noise jammers by use of cross-correlation techniques.

N/A

Yellow Aster

Reconnaissance radar for Victor and Valiant. Interim to Red Neck.

H₂S Mk9. Blue Shadow with improved CRT/Photographic recorder. Fitted to RRF Victors 1958 - 61

Used the X-band.

Yellow Barley

Passive radar warning receiver.

Tested on English Electric Canberra.

N/A

Yellow Fever

FCE No7 Light AA gun fire control system for the Bofors L70.

Blue Diamond radar and an analogue computer. Possibly used as TIR on early Red Shoes and Red Duster trials.

N/A

Yellow Gate

ESM for Boeing E-3D Sentry, Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 and R.1.

Loral 1101 system. May or may not be in the wingtip pods of the R.1 Entered service

N/A

Yellow Jack

Radar element of Orange Pippin.

N/A

N/A

Yellow Lemon

Doppler navigation equipment for Naval fighters.

Decca AI Mk.17, 1956.

N/A

Yellow River

AMES Type 83 Fire Control radar, AA No3 Mk9.

Tracking and illumination radar for Stage 1 SAGW. Built by British Thompson Houston. Exported as Stingray.

Operated at 4 and 10GHz. Range = 51 miles (82km)

Yellow Tiger

Fire control radar

For Red Shoes.

N/A

Yellow Veil

Whittaker ALQ-167 jamming pod for Lynx.

Entered service.

N/A

Zabra

IR surveillance system.

Mid 1970s. Collected the IR signatures of Soviet fighters. Fitted behind the cockpit of an English Electric Canberra B.6.

N/A

ZB.298

Radar GSNo14 battlefield surveillance system.

Marconi Avionics short range man portable radar. Could be fitted to the FV.432 personnel carrier.

R = 6.2 miles (10Km)

Zenda

Cannon and rocket locating radar.

Multinational project.

N/A

Zeus

Marconi jamming equipment.

Fitted to Harrier GR3.

N/A

Zinnia

Detection of missiles and high-speed aircraft beyond the radar horizon.

Developed by RAE. Being progressed to collect data on Russian missile firings. c.62. Was to complement Project Verify, the use of Jodrell Bank to detect ICBM.

High frequency backscatter radar.