The requirements were eventually made official in November 1956 with General
Operational Requirement 339 (GOR.339), which was issued to various aircraft manufacturers in March 1957.
[16]
[17] This requirement was exceptionally ambitious for the technology of the day, requiring a
supersonic all-weather aircraft that could deliver
nuclear weapons over a long range, operate at high level at Mach 2+ or low level at Mach 1.2, with
STOL or possible
VTOL performance.
[14]
[18] The latter requirement was a side-effect of common battle plans from the 1950s, which suggested that nuclear strikes in the opening stages of war would damage most runways and airbases, meaning that aircraft would need to take off from "rough fields" such as disused Second World War airfields, or even sufficiently flat and open areas of land.
[19] Specifically, the requirement included:
[18]- Delivery of tactical nuclear weapons at low level in all weathers, by day and night
- Photo-reconnaissance at medium level (day) and low level (day and night)
- Electronic reconnaissance in all weathers
- Delivery of tactical nuclear weapons day and night at medium altitudes using blind bombing if necessary
- Delivery of conventional bombs and rockets
Low level was stated to be under 1,000 ft (300 m) with an expected attack speed at sea level of Mach 0.95. The operational range was to be 1,000 nmi (1,200 mi; 1,900 km) operating off runways of no more than 3,000 ft (910 m).
[20] The TSR-2 was able to operate at 200 ft (60 m) above the ground at speeds of Mach 1.1;
[21] its range allowed it to operate strategically in addition to tactical scenarios.
[22]