Bloodhound

The development of guided missiles was a very high priority in post-war Britain, for they were intended to counter Soviet bomber aircraft attacking the United Kingdom with nuclear weapons. In its fully-developed form, the Bloodhound anti-aircraft missile could climb to over 50,000 feet in under two minutes, and destroy incoming aircraft almost 30 miles from Britain’s shores.
The Bristol Bloodhound missile was developed from 1949, led by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, with much help from government research establishments. It entered service in 1958. Bloodhound protected the airfields and bases that were home to the RAF’s V-bomber force, which carried Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
The Mark 1 Bloodhound continued in service until it was replaced from 1964 by an upgraded Mark 2 version. Throughout its life, the Bloodhound was capable of a remarkable performance. Within twenty-five feet of its launch, it would reach the speed of sound, 1160 km per hour. It would accelerate within three seconds to Mach 2.2 – approximately 2700 km per hour. The missile was also adopted by Sweden and Switzerland.

This on is at IWM Duxford