Böcker av John Boyes

The atom bombs dropped on Japan opened the door to the nuclear age. In an ambitious programme, the US Navy paired missiles with nuclear-powered submarines resulting in the Polaris fleet of forty-one deterrent submarines with the first leaving on patrol in 1960. Agreement was later reached to supply the missiles to the Royal Navy.

In 1955, Britain with US assistance, started development of a medium range ballistic missile. The idea was to give Britain an independent nuclear capability to take it through to the 1970s. The need for underground launchers added to what was an already complex project and this, allied to ever-increasing costs, saw the project cancelled in 1960.

In the mid-1950s the US, worried by advances in Soviet missile technology, sought to develop an IRBM, acting as a stop-gap until their ICBMs became operational. The UK agreed to accept 60 Thor missiles, operated by RAF crews. What followed was an outstandingly successful co-operation between the two Nations.