Dr Thomas Withington will outline the WE-177’s rationale and development, discussing its design and its intended role had nuclear war broken out in Europe. He will also explain how the WE-177 was to complement the Polaris missile as part of the UK’s nuclear deterrent and conclude by discussing the decommissioning of the WE-177 and its legacy. This lecture will be broadcast live from RAF Museum, Cosford.

This free lecture is part of the RAF Museum's Research Lecture Programme. If you would like to support the RAF Museum, you can make a donation at: https://support.rafmuseum.org/Donate-Now

It was the most expensive weapon the RAF ever deployed. Thankfully, it was never used.

By the early 1970s, it seemed that the RAF was out of the nuclear business; the Royal Navy was to get the new Polaris ballistic missile and new submarines to boot. Yet this was not quite the case. From 1966, the air force began receiving the WE-177. This was a tactical nuclear bomb that would also outfit the Royal Navy. It would remain in service for over 30 years and was finally phased out in 1998.

The WE-177 has the distinction of being the most expensive weapon the RAF ever acquired. However, little information has been shared with the public on the WE-177, its development and intended role. Drawing on official government documents now in the public domain, this lecture will shine a light on the WE-177 and its intriguing history.

The lecture will outline the weapon’s rationale and development. It will explain the WE-177’s design and intended role had the unthinkable ever happened and nuclear war had broken out in Europe. It will also explain how the WE-177 was to complement the Polaris missile as part of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. The paper will conclude by discussing the decommissioning of the WE-177 and its legacy.

Dr Thomas Withington is a writer and analyst specialising in electronic warfare, radar and military communications. He has written hundreds of articles on these subjects for a range of general and specialist publications. He has also worked as an adviser and consultant for several leading public and private sector organisations. In addition, he regularly presents on these subjects at conferences around the world, and provides comment and insight for leading media outlets.

A Bigger Bang – The Untold Story of the WE-177: The RAF’s Last Nuclear Weapon