UGM-27 Polaris A3
United Kingdom Royal Navy

Operator: UK Royal Navy
Location: Cape Canaveral AS, Florida (USA)
Timeframe: 1995-1999

Personal Interest: Cape Canaveral Air Station had a submarine port available for SLBM testing, and the Royal Navy tested the Polaris A3 nearby in the Atlantic Ocean through 1996. My unit, the 45th Weather Squadron, provided launch weather support for these memorable launches.

Model Specifications: This model represents a UGM-27 Polaris A3 missile in operational test and evaluation markings, as operated by the UK Royal Navy and tested at Cape Canaveral Air Station.

Secondary Interests:
Cold War: Although the United Kingdom's Royal Navy was using the Polaris SLBM during my USAF career, the US Navy had decommissioned it in 1981. News headlines at the time emphasized President Reagan directed the Navy to upgrade all Polaris and Poseidon SLBMs to the new Trident SLBM.