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In
1947, the British Air Ministry issued a request in the form of
Specification B.35/46 for an advanced jet bomber capable of carrying a
nuclear bomb. Short and Vickers responded with SA.4 Sperrin and T.660
Valiant. The Short Sperrin was set as the program backup while Valiant
was awarded the production order. Handley-Page and Avro came up with
advanced designs for competition which would become the Victor and
Vulcan. Due to the aggression in Europe from USSR , both the Victor and
Vulcan were also awarded a production contract. The first Valiant
prototype made its first flight in 1951, and the first production
aircraft flew in 1953. In October 1956, the Valiant performed the first
British atomic bomb test-drop. The Valiant¡¦s successful drop led the UK
to become the world's third nuclear power. A month later, Valiants
operating from the airfield at Luqa on
Malta were in combat in Suez Crisis. In 1957, Valiants
performed test-drops of the first British hydrogen bomb. With the
Victors and Vulcans becoming operational, the Valiant was switched to
low-level tactical operations in 1962, and the entire Valiant fleet was
retired by 1965.
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