Jolanta,
Take a step back and ask yourself the following questions:-
Why was the project cancelled in the first place?
When was the F-111 proposed aand what was the state of THAT project at the time?
In answer to the first the TSR2 was ostensibly cancelled as it was more economical to cancel, pay damages to BAC and order an equivlent number of F-111Ks from the US than to pursue the TSR programme at current cost projections to service introduction.
However look at the state of play of the F-111 programme at the time, it was already running late, over budget and encountering very critical inlet/ engine issues which was adding time and cost to that programme.
Whilst this was not ‘public knowledge’ it was known in the industry by the RAF and the Government at the time the F-111K was mooted as a viable replacement aircraft.
Now the adamant assertion by the Treasury and the Civil Servants that the F-111 was going to offer significant savings to the UK tax payer were even then threatened by the issues facing the F-111.
It would have been unacceptable to any Government, faced with an increasing financial commitment to the F-111…to be forced into cancallation with, in storage a UK alternative which had flown, which had proven its capabilities. Any other alternative (in this case the F-4K) would have been greeted with a level of scepticism that was entirely appropriate and a UK only solution would have been sought…especially one that was already amortised to a significant extent…
To be proven wrong in such a fundamental fashion was a risk no Government was prepared to accept and did everything to reduce the risk. This included the removal of any option ot recommence the programme in an economical fashion. The destruction of the physical means to build the craft as well as the paper information that would permit a restart were part of that risk reduction.
Remember also that whilst it was a Labour Government who actually cancelled the TSR2, the Conservative Government prior to them offered no cast iron guarantees that the programme would be continued. Pressure was mounting from the Chief of Staff and even from the RAF to cancel. Certainly Geo Edwards had no illusions about the chances of the TSR entering service.
With that wider vision it becomes clear that the only logical explanation for the wholesale removal of the means to restart the programme is the real fear that the proposed replacement was going to be found wanting and that the restarting of this previously too expensive programme was then discovered to offer the most financially advantageous solution to the issue…..
Very convincing. There’s weight to much of what you say. On the other hand, I seem to recall that ‘buying British’ was actually quite a powerful thing in those days.
Are we not talking of the World Cup era, ‘Backing Britain’ etc etc? – this does not seem to sit too squarely with all the conspiracy theories and to me the whole thing smacks more of bungling and ****-up. We had a few before and we’ve had a few since, from governments of all colours.
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