Military aircraft procurement as a lever of government policy - the Nimrod and the decisions of the Wilson government, 1964-65

Yonge, Thomas Peter (2024). Military aircraft procurement as a lever of government policy - the Nimrod and the decisions of the Wilson government, 1964-65. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

Preview

Yonge2024PhD.pdf
Text - Accepted Version
Available under License All rights reserved.
Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Against a prevailing trend for off the shelf American aircraft and collaborative European programmes, an outlier in the form of the low-volume British-made Hawker Siddeley HS.801 Maritime Comet – the Nimrod MR1, was selected by the Labour government in 1964-65 as the new maritime patrol aircraft for the RAF. The continuation of this niche domestic aircraft procurement is rarely placed alongside the emotive cancellation of the TSR.2, or the technological marvel of Concord, as events that shaped the aviation industry and British policy, yet it forms an essential element to understanding the wider picture of British ambitions in the period. This thesis will seek to understand both the factors that influenced the selection of the HS.801 and how it fitted into this wider British strategy. To achieve this, it will examine the contributing factors of the British relationships with the United States and Europe, defence spending and strategy and the domestic aviation industry – all under the umbrella of a period of economic stringency for defence and particularly defence procurement brought about by the balance of payments crisis of 1964.
From this examination, it will be argued that the Nimrod procurement provided an essential measure of work for the embattled aviation industry, and when placed alongside the other concurrent programmes serves to define British strategy, intent and ambition of the mid-1960s. From this, it demonstrates how the Wilson Government approached the needs of the economy, defence, and Britain’s place in world affairs during the precariously balanced first six months of the administration.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):