Blue Steel Stand-Off Bomb
This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
License
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
British Blue Steel rocket powered stand-off bomb - test vehicle. Entered service 1960
The Blue Steel air-launched supersonic 'stand-off bomb' was designed as an interim nuclear weapon before the proposed Blue Streak ballistic missile system. Blue Steel was carried by Vulcan and Victor aircraft. This test vehicle was powered by a Double Spectre engine while those depoyed operationaly used a Stentor.
Blue Steel remained in operation for longer than intended because Blue Streak was cancelled. It was retired in 1970, when the Polaris submarine-launched missile fleet came into service.
Details
- Category:
- Space Technology
- Object Number:
- 1987-752
- Measurements:
-
overall: 3934lb
overall (estimate): 2960 mm x 1110 mm x 4900 mm,
- type:
- bombs and stand-off bombs
- credit:
- BAE Systems Electronics Limited; British Aerospace Defence; Royal Ordnance PLC
