(10/2 post on WE177B amended iaw PN 11/2)
WE.177C.
On 6/4/65 PM Wilson optioned 40 GR F-111K intended to support 24 U/E in FEAF. He could not take US weapons out-of-NATO-area, had pledged "no new nukes", so chose not to build No.4 SSBN shipset (48 warheads; no crew) but to assemble more WE.177B for them. After F-111K chop 16/1/68 they would have gone to Buccaneer S.2(RAF), 26 ordered 12/7/68, plus more ex-RN, for RAFG.
12/3/69 Defence Minister Healey approved a range of applications for WE177 (K.Stoddart {Soton U},Losing an Empire and Finding a Role, Palgrave,2012,P.220 labels all 172/RAF+ 43/RN as 177A, but the list included high-yield applications). But…
- AWRE lost 2 years' production, 1968-70, due to contamination. (HMS Resolution maiden patrol, 15/6/68 was with 50% of U/E warheads);
- 11/69 “Provisional Political Guidelines for the Initial Defensive Tactical Use of Nuclear Weapons by NATO” constrained to <200Kt. RAFG’s F-4M US B-61 were so dialled. WE177B was re-invented as WE177C, 190Kt. and 36 were deployed on Buccaneer S.2:
Laarbruch 15 Sqdn 31/12/72 -31/10/83
Laarbruch 16 Sqdn 8/1/73 - 29/2/84, re-inforced by 208 Sqdn/Honington, 1/7/74 - 2/80.
E.Heath got in, 6/70. He chose to displace RAFG F-4M/US Bombs with Jaguar: instead of 90 S+110 B trainers he changed to 35 T.2+165 GR.1. He chose to put WE177C on 60 to be in RAFG from 1975, providing all-British weapons to meet Saceur’s RAFG Task of 96 targets.
("No new nukes": I believe them to have been built from the 12 leftover from No.4 SSBN, plus conversion of 48xNo.3 A3Ts, planned to be displaced by Chevaline. That programme slipped to maiden patrol, 10/82, in part due, again, to AWE contamination 1978/82 (P.Malone,Br.Nucl. Deterrent, C.Helm, 84,P.125). RN juggled 3 boats x16 missiles x2 warheads to sustain 2x16x3 A3T at sea). Jaguar GR.1 served:
Brüggen 14 Sqdn(opnl: )1/12/75 - 1/11/85 (15 U/E)
17 Sqdn 1/2/76 - 1/3/85 (15)
31 Sqdn 30/6/76 - 1/11/84 (15)
20 Sqdn 1/3/77 - 30/6/84 (15)
detached from Coltishall: 6 Sqdn 1976 - 6/84
detached from Coltishall:54 Sqdn 1976 - 6/84
Tornado GR.1 took over all 96 WE177C:
Laarbruch 15 Sqdn (opnl: )1/11/83 - 31/12/91
16 Sqdn 29/2/84 - 11/9/91
20 Sqdn 30/6/84 - 31/5/92
Brüggen 31 Sqdn 1/11/84 - mid-95
17 Sqdn 1/3/85 - mid-95
14 Sqdn 1/11/85 - mid-95
9 Sqdn 1/10/86 - mid-95
detached from Honington:TWCU 1984 - mid-95 (1/12/83: 45(R) Sqdn)