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United Kingdom Aerospace and Weapons Projects Nuclear Weapons 011103 L = length, S = span, W = weight, R = range, Ø = diameter |
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Name |
Description |
Remarks |
Particulars |
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Big Bertha |
Truck mounted nuclear landmine. |
Renamed Brown Bunny, see also Blue Peacock. |
Estimated yield - 20Kt |
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Big Brother |
Warhead for UK Blue Water. |
Designed by AWRE, based on US Mk.47 Skybolt warhead. |
N/A |
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Nuclear landmine mounted on a truck. |
Smaller warhead than Blue Bunny / Peacock. Eventually called Violet Mist. Not adopted. |
N/A |
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Official codename for Brown Bunny truck-mounted landmine using Blue Danube physics package. |
Cancelled as too heavy. Truck couldn't go off-road. Became Blue Peacock. |
Estimated yield - 10Kt |
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Common user fission weapon. |
Also known as Tony, but may be a US design. |
2 – 10Kt yield |
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Mk.1 atom bomb to OR.1001. |
UK's first operational Plutonium fission weapon. Casing was also used for Violet Club. Also known as Smallboy. |
Estimated yield - 20Kt, L = 24.1ft (7.37m) Ø = 62in (157.5cm) W = 10250lb (4650Kg) |
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Blue Fox (1955) |
Common user lightweight kiloton warhead. |
Developed for delivery by Bloodhound to use the R-1 effect. Renamed Indigo Hammer. |
Estimated yield – 6.5 Kt |
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Blue Granite |
Fusion weapon test. |
Original (and possibly correct) name for Purple Granite. |
N/A |
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Nuclear landmine mounted on truck. |
Blue Bunny codename was compromised and so became Blue Peacock. By fitting a smaller warhead this became Blue Hare. Not adopted. |
N/A |
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British nuclear land mine system from the 50s-early 60s. |
Renamed from Blue Bunny after codename was compromised. |
Estimated yield - 20Kt |
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Blue Rosette. |
Short case H-bomb for use on Avro 730. Smaller than Blue Danube. |
To OR.1144 with Green Bamboo warhead. Later with Orange Herald warhead. Cancelled with Avro 730. |
Estimated yield - 0.5Mt W = 7000lb (3182Kg) with Green Bamboo, 3500lb (1591Kg) with Orange Herald. |
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Unit 710 Neutron initiator for Green Grass warhead in Yellow Sun Mk1 |
Used in Yellow Sun Mk1 500Kt bomb |
N/A |
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Truck mounted nuclear landmine based on Blue Danube. |
Previously known as Big Bertha. Later renamed Blue Peacock. |
Estimated yield - 20Kt |
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Cleo |
Fission bomb. |
Acted as primary for the RE.179 warhead for the UK Skybolt. |
N/A |
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Cudgel |
Proposal for naval atomic mine. |
Based on Blue Danube encased in a caisson. |
N/A |
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Chevaline warhead. |
Fitted to Polaris A3TK missiles of the Royal Navy. |
Yield = 40Kt |
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Fishfryer |
Possible nuclear weapon. |
No information available. |
N/A |
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Green Bamboo |
Boosted megaton fission bomb. |
Tamper-boosted design similar to the Soviet 'layer cake'. Developed by 1955 suitable for airdrop. Not tested. Any bomb of 500Kt plus was a megaton weapon in the UK. |
Estimated yield - 0.5Mt |
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Green Granite |
Multi-megaton bomb, suitable for air drops. |
Large two stage thermonuclear bomb. Short Granite and Purple Granite were derived from this design. |
Estimated yield - Green Granite Small - 1.0 Mt, Green Granite Large - 3.0 Mt |
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Pure-fission warhead. The last purely British nuclear weapon. |
Used in Violet Club and Yellow Sun Mk.1. Similar to Orange Herald in concept but without using core boosting. |
Estimated yield - 500Kt |
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Gwen |
Lightweight nuclear warhead |
Small warhead intended for Seaslug Mk.2 SAM. Also known as RO.106, may be a smaller derivative of Tony. |
Yield = 0.5 – 2 Kt. |
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Indigo Hammer |
Fission warhead and fusion trigger. |
Originally for the nuclear armed SAGW such as Bloodhound III. |
Estimated yield - 6.5 Kt |
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Possible designation of Chevaline warhead. |
Also known as Super Antelope. Antelope was a US penaid carrier. |
N/A |
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Knobkerry |
Possible nuclear weapon. |
No information available. |
N/A |
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A core-boosted large fission weapon. |
Megaton yield weapon suitable for missile warhead. Possibly OR.1142. Apart from boosting, similar to Green Grass. |
Estimated yield - 0.72Mt |
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Peanut |
AWE two-stage nuclear weapon. |
Cylindrical thermonuclear trigger device from 1960. |
N/A |
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Peter |
Fission warhead. |
Trigger device for Red Snow warhead. |
Yield = 10Kt |
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Pixie |
Lightweight nuclear warhead |
Intended for ABM, SAM and demolition mine use. |
Yield = 0.8Kt |
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Project E (Nuclear) |
Use of US weapons by RAF. |
US nuclear weapons tasked to RAF pending arrival of UK weapons. Also covered dual key arrangements. |
N/A |
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Project R |
Hardening of UK nuclear weapons against premature detonation. |
MOD was concerned that the Soviets had discovered the R.1 effect. |
N/A |
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Purple Granite |
Two-stage H-bomb. |
Modified Green Granite H-bomb. See Green Granite. Blue Granite may have been correct designation. |
Estimated yield - 0.2Mt |
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Purple Passion |
Sub-kiloton demolition mine project. |
Related to Violet Mist. |
0.01 – 0.1Kt |
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RE.179 |
UK designation for Skybolt warhead. |
Based on the US Mk.47 warhead as used on Polaris A1. Became Big Brother. |
Yield = 400Kt |
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Tactical nuclear weapon to OR.1127 in service 1962 - 1971. |
Free-fall bomb. Euphemistically known as the 'Target Marker Bomb'. Carried by Scimitars and Buccaneers. Proposed as warhead for Green Cheese ASM. |
Estimated yield - Mk1 15Kt, Mk2 25kt. L = 12ft (3.99m), Ø = 3ft (0.9m), W = 1750lb (794Kg) |
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Warhead for Blue Steel and Yellow Sun |
Entered service. Based on US Mk.28 physics package. |
Estimated yield 1 Mt |
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RO.106 |
Designation of Tony nuclear warhead. |
Used post 1959. |
N/A |
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Smallboy |
Mk.1 atom bomb to OR.1001. |
UK's first operational Plutonium fission weapon. Also known as "Mark 1" and Blue Danube. Casing was also used for Violet Club. |
Estimated yield - 20Kt, L = 24.1ft (7.37m) Ø = 62in (157.5cm) W = 10250lb (4650Kg) |
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Early designation of Chevaline vehicle. Antelope was a US penetration aid carrier. |
Super Antelope was a UK modification carrying an improved, hardened re-entry body and British decoys. Also known as KH.793. Renamed Chevaline in 1974. |
N/A |
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TASM |
Tactical Air-to-Surface Missile. |
To SR (A) 1244. WE.177 replacement. Cancelled 1993. |
R = 373miles (600Km) |
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TD.127 |
Replacement for WE.177. |
Nuclear weapon to SR(A)1244. |
N/A |
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Tony |
Nuclear warhead for SAGW. |
AUK modification of the US designed Tsetse primary device. Intended for Bloodhound MkIII. Possibly known as Blue Cat. |
Yield 2 – 10Kt |
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Tsetse |
Nuclear warhead. |
US primary device that was modified in the UK to become Tony. |
N/A |
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Ulysses |
Nuclear warhead. |
Believed to be derived from US Mk.47 for Skybolt. |
N/A |
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Una |
Nuclear warhead. |
Intended for SAM, depth charge and demolition mine uses. Possibly related to Red Beard |
Yield = 50 – 200Kt |
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Urchin |
Internal Neutron Initiator |
Used in Blue Danube and Red Beard |
N/A |
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Interim Megaton Weapon. 1st operational UK H-bomb. |
Designed pending the delivery of Yellow Sun. Used Green Grass physics package and Blue Danube casings. |
Estimated yield - 0.5Mt, L = 24.1ft (7.37m) Ø = 5ft (1.51m) W = 11000lb (4991Kg) |
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Violet Mist |
Truck mounted nuclear landmine. |
Used a Red Beard warhead. Cancelled 1961. Successor to Blue Peacock. |
Estimated yield - 15Kt. |
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Violet Vision |
Nuclear warhead. |
Modified Red Beard for fitting to the Corporal SRBM in UK service. |
Estimated yield - 15 - 25kt. |
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Variable yield tactical nuclear gravity bomb. |
Fission weapon derived from Cleo. Withdrawn from Service by August 1998. |
L= 9.3ft (2.8m) Ø = 16.5in (42cm) Type A weighed 600lb (272Kg, Estimated yield – 20 - 200Kt. |
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Parachute retarded gravity bomb for the V-force. |
Thermonuclear weapon derived from the RE.179 warhead intended for the UK Skybolt. Withdrawn from Service by August 1998. |
L=11.1ft (3.4m) Ø = 16.5in (42cm) Type B weighed 950lb (431Kg), Estimated yield - 400Kt. |
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Low weight, low yield gravity bomb and depth charge. |
Variable yield fission weapon. This was a nuclear depth charge for the Royal Navy. Withdrawn from Service by June 1992. Possibly shorter and rocket boosted for helicopter use. |
L= 9.3ft (2.8m). Ø = 16.5in (42cm) Type C weighed 600lb (272Kg), Estimated yield – 0.5 - 10Kt |
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Fuse for WE.177. |
Designed by Thorn-EMI |
N/A |
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Yellow Anvil |
Atomic artillery shell. |
Intended for Army use. |
N/A |
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UK H-bomb equipping the V-force. |
Used the Green Bamboo tamper boosted fission warhead |
L = 20ft (6.09m), Ø = 4ft (1.21m), W = 7250lb (3289Kg) |
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UK H-bomb equipping the V-force. |
Used a Green Granite fusion warhead. |
Estimated yield - 400Kt, Mk2 1Mt. L = 20ft (6.09m), Ø = 4ft (1.21m), W = 7250lb (3289Kg) |
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UK H-bomb equipping the V-force. |
Used a Green Grass physics package. Entered service in 1961. |
Estimated yield - Mk1 500Kt, Mk2 1Mt. L = 20ft (6.09m), Ø = 4ft (1.21m), W = 7250lb (3289Kg) |
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UK H-bomb to meet OR.1136. |
Mk.1 used Green Grass physics package. Entered service in 1961 equipping the V-force. |
Estimated yield - Mk1 500Kt, Mk2 1Mt. L = 20ft (6.09m), Ø = 4ft (1.21m), W = 7250lb (3289Kg) |
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Zodiak |
Nuclear warhead |
Proposal from 1953 |
N/A |