Red Angel (rocket)
Red Angel, a
A number of problems with the system were found during development, along with changes to the Fleet Air Arm makeup. These led to the conclusion that more range was needed, as much as 10,000 yards (9,100 m). Red Angel was cancelled in 1956 in favour of the longer-ranged Green Cheese.
History
Earlier systems
Larger unguided rockets taking advantage of this effect were developed at the end of the war, such as the 'Uncle Tom' to meet
Sverdlov crisis
Around 1950, the new
Red Angel was not the only concept developed to deal with the Sverdlovs. At the same time, development began on "Bootleg", an air-dropped torpedo with a rocket booster that allowed it to be fired from about the same range as Red Angel. It was thought that a torpedo would have a much greater chance of hitting the target than the rocket, as it could hit the water as much as 1,000 yards (910 m) from the ship and still reach it, travelling at 70 knots (130 km/h; 81 mph). Further consideration led to the decision to cancel Bootleg as it was more complex to launch and would be more expensive to buy, and overall a "doubtful starter."[3]
Red Angel testing began with a
Cancellation
By 1956, the decision to remove the Wyvern from service was underway. The strike role would pass to a new jet-powered aircraft, NA.39, but this would leave the Navy with little strike capability over the short term. The decision was made to use the Fairey Gannet, an anti-submarine aircraft, in the strike role. This was a much slower and larger aircraft than the Wyvern, and the 5,000 yd standoff range was not considered sufficient to keep this aircraft safe.[4]
Red Angel was cancelled, and a new concept was released for a weapon capable of being launched from 10,000 yards (9,100 m), able to disable the ships with a single hit. This was released to industry as OR.1123 which led to the much larger Green Cheese effort.[1] Another advantage of Green Cheese is that it could be launched from the much larger V bombers, which would offer a long-range anti-ship capability.[4]
Another issue was that the number of aircraft carriers in RN service was cut back, meaning that the Sverdlovs were going to have to be countered, at least on occasion, by surface ships. This led to the Blue Slug concept, a ship-to-ship version of the Seaslug armed with Red Angel's warhead.[1]
Description
Red Angel was 10 feet 9 inches (3.28 m) long and 11.25 inches (286 mm) in diameter. Overall weight was 1,055 pounds (479 kg) with an 88-pound (40 kg) warhead.[1]
It was first deployed on the Westland Wyvern turboprop, but had always been earmarked for the new jet naval strike aircraft developed in response to the Sverdlov threat, the Blackburn Buccaneer. The high-speed Buccaneer was noted for its rotating bomb bay and internal weapons stowage. This could carry four of the Red Angels.[1]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-190210947-3.
- ^ "The Rocket Bulletin". The Aeroplane. 23 May 1947. p. 352.
- ^ Friedman, Norman (1986). The Postwar Naval Revolution. Naval Institute Press. p. 83.
- ^ a b c Hobbs, David (2015). The British Carrier Strike Fleet after 1945. Pen and Sword.