Red Angel was the codename for a proposed British intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) project during the mid-1950s. Conceived as a strategic weapon system for the Royal Air Force, it represented the United Kingdom's early aspirations to develop an indigenous long-range nuclear delivery capability following the successful development of its atomic bomb.
The project aimed to create a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead over intercontinental distances, providing a deterrent independent of the United States. However, the development of such an advanced system presented significant technical and financial challenges for the UK at the time.
Ultimately, the Red Angel project did not proceed beyond conceptual and early design phases. The UK government decided to cancel the program in favor of acquiring American-developed intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), specifically the Thor missile, in the late 1950s. This decision reflected a strategic shift towards relying on allied technology and shared defense agreements during the Cold War, as well as the immense cost and complexity of developing a domestic ICBM. While Red Angel itself was never built, it signifies an important, albeit unfulfilled, chapter in Britain's early post-war missile development efforts.