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de Havilland Blue Streak
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de Havilland Blue Streak
De Havilland Blue Streak Medium-Range Ballistic Missile Being Lowered, in Its Launcher-Frame, Onto a Low-Loader Truck Date: 1950s
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Media ID 18401480
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Ballistic Bomb Cancelled Project Deterrent Guided Havilland Missile Nuclear Project Cancelled Streak Weapon
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In this evocative black-and-white photograph from the 1950s, a team of British military personnel carefully lower the De Havilland Blue Streak Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) into the back of a low-loader truck at the Spadeadam Test Range in Cumbria, England. The Blue Streak, a guided nuclear weapon designed to serve as the United Kingdom's deterrent against Soviet aggression during the Cold War, was a significant development in the country's military history. The missile, which measures around 27 feet (8.2 meters) in length and weighs approximately 44,000 pounds (20,000 kilograms), is secured to a launcher-frame for transport. The men in the photograph, dressed in protective gear and wearing helmets, work diligently to ensure the safe and secure transfer of the missile from its test site to its next destination. The Blue Streak project was initiated in the late 1950s as part of the UK's response to the growing threat of Soviet nuclear weapons. The missile was designed to have a range of around 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) and could carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 2 megatons. However, the project faced numerous challenges, including technical difficulties and rising costs, and was ultimately cancelled in the late 1960s in favor of the Polaris ballistic missile system. Despite its short lifespan, the Blue Streak program represented a crucial period in the development of the UK's nuclear deterrent capabilities. This photograph offers a unique glimpse into the men and machinery involved in the testing and transportation of this groundbreaking weapon during the height of the Cold War.
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