| Tychon | |
|---|---|
| Type | air-to-surface missile |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Designed | early 1960s |
| Manufacturer | Bristol Aeroplane |
| Specifications | |
| Warhead | various |
Guidance system | various |
Steering system | control surfaces |
Launch platform | various aircraft |
Tychon was a British air-to-surface missile proposed by Bristol Aeroplane Company's Guided Weapons Division in the early 1960s. It was a development of the earlier Momentum Bomb proposal developed by Barnes Wallis at Vickers Aircraft.[1] Neither entered production.
Momentum Bomb was an unpowered glide bomb intended to help strike aircraft remain outside enemy air defences while delivering tactical nuclear weapons.[1] Tychon expanded on the basic concept, adding a rocket motor to increase range, and modular guidance systems that could be swapped for different missions, including both conventional and nuclear attacks and reconnaissance.
The project saw some official interest, but never much enthusiasm on the part of the Air Staff or the Admiralty. Many of the roles it was intended to fill were instead put into an Anglo-French development project, OR.1168, which emerged as the Martel.
- ^ a b "Other Areas of Research". Barnes Wallis - Life and Work. Barnes Wallis Foundation. 2014. Archived from the original on 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2023-12-09.