Nimrods Genesis

The end of the WWII ushered in a new Cold War 'Battle of the Atlantic' with even higher stakes as the RAF's Coastal Command (and later, 18 Group Strike Command) scoured the seas for the Soviet submarines that menaced not only the sea lanes, but also threatened Western cities with nuclear annihilation. Britain's aviation industry sought to address an increasingly sophisticated Soviet submarine force by developing equipment such as radar, sonar, torpedoes, depth charges and the aircraft to carry them.
Based on recently released archive material, Nimrod's Genesis describes systems such as the HS.828 reusable sonobuoy, proposed for the RAF's Cold War maritime patrol aircraft. The aircraft projects themselves ranged from the R.2/48 flying boat of the 1940s, the Shackleton replacement proposals of the 1950s, through the variable-geometry supersonic aircraft and modified airliners of the 1960s, to 21st century discussions on whether the RAF should have a maritime role at all. Nimrod's Genesis reveals the background to the decisions and reveals the many design studies conducted by the UK's aircraft industry.
Illustrated throughout with photographs, drawings and specially commissioned artwork, Nimrod's Genesis is a unique reference to the aircraft, weapons and sensors designed to protect the sea lanes and hunt Soviet submarines since 1945 and like the author's best-selling Vulcan's Hammer and Battle Flight, Nimrod's Genesis challenges previously accepted beliefs about the concepts and projects behind Britain's Cold War aircraft.