Following the end of WWII the United Kingdom embarked on an audacious
program of aircraft and weapons development to maintain its position as
a world power. This led ultimately to the V-bombers; Valiant, Victor,
and Vulcan, that carried the British nuclear deterrent from the mid
1950s until replaced by Polaris in the late 1960s. Prior to the
V-bombers, the British aviation industry examined a number of schemes to
deliver that deterrent, such as Blue Moon, while their intended
replacements, the supersonic Avro 730 and English Electric P.10, could
have been the most advanced aircraft in the world in 1960. As political
and military circumstances changed, the V-force adopted new concepts,
specifically the American Skybolt and the patrol missile carriers: the
Pofflers.
Running in parallel with aircraft development were a number of programs
to advance V-bomber weaponry. In addition to free-fall bombs, the UK
aviation industry undertook development of missiles and the associated
propulsion and guidance systems, and in Blue Steel, created the most
complex vehicle ever produced in the UK. As well as arming the Victor
and Vulcan, Blue Steel was to form the basis of a range of weapons for
TSR.2 and Mirage IV, test vehicles and satellite launchers.
Illustrated with more than 200 photographs and drawings plus new color
artwork, Vulcan's Hammer presents the story of an alternative V-force
and its armament providing a wealth of fascinating information for
historians and modelers alike.
