A Brief History of Nuclear Weapons in the Royal Air Force

Despite contributing a significant portion of the scientists and the technology that went into the American Manhattan Project, the British government was forced out of the nuclear program when the United States implemented the McMahon Act in August 1946. Previously, the British government had been under the assumption that nuclear weapons would be shared with the US, UK and Canada who had collaborated on the original program, but the passing of the 1946 act assuaged the notion that the UK could rely on its wartime ally. The programs running to replace the WE.177 were eventually also cancelled owing to the lack of threat from the now dissolved Soviet Union leaving the WE.177 as the last nuclear weapon in RAF service.

Author: James Gray

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