If you were Sandys or Mcnamara?

[Scott Kenny]

Deck launched intercepts are primarily a fleet specific defensive role, and doesn't so much pertain to the RAF procurement.

It's still got the same timing issues between detection and getting into position as an RAF interceptor.

Same functional role, different details.

 

[Rule of cool]

I suspect that was the Army HQ not thinking about what throwing nukes around would mean

I think the Army thought it could still fight even with the odd nuke being thrown around. After all the Soviet Union and Germany lost tens of millions of people in WW2 and kept fighting.

 

[Scott Kenny]

I think the Army thought it could still fight even with the odd nuke being thrown around. After all the Soviet Union and Germany lost tens of millions of people in WW2 and kept fighting.

But not in one battle with all their equipment.

 

[Rule of cool]

I was thinking about the likes of the initial phase of Barbarossa, or Bagration.

 

[Purpletrouble]

I think the Army thought it could still fight even with the odd nuke being thrown around. After all the Soviet Union and Germany lost tens of millions of people in WW2 and kept fighting.

I think the (British) Army just went “phew, thank fk thats over. Back to proper soldiering where they’ve only got sharp bits of fruit”. That (well actually some quite demanding colonial minor wars) and an increasingly comfy garrison life in BAOR plus trying to manage peacetime national service pretty much occupied it fully.

I find it amazing how little the British Army modernised its armoured/mechanised forces (thinking armoured infantry vehicles and orbat, less so tanks) between 1945 and the 1960s yet had copious evidence its tactics and organisational structures even in 45 were at best sub par. In contrast the RN and RAF poured vast effort into shaping their 1950s forces to be much better at refighting WW2 and recognised when nukes meant that wasnt the best idea (RN by 54 radical review, RAF perhaps had it imposed in 57).