Q&A · 31:46-32:02

A possible Guardian name for Blackburn's carrier AEW aircraft

Guardian is offered as a plausible Royal Navy name for the unbuilt Blackburn carrier AEW proposal, while its possible service life remains uncertain.

Question

What might the Royal Navy have called the proposed Blackburn carrier AEW aircraft, and could it still be serving?

Short answer

Possibly Guardian; it might have survived, but its retirement date is too uncertain to state confidently.

Notes

Guardian is suggested as a possible name for the unbuilt Blackburn carrier airborne-early-warning aircraft, rather than presented as a documented choice. The aircraft might have survived into the modern period, though it could just as easily have retired earlier. The naming idea is plausible within the counterfactual. Its service life would depend on the carrier and replacement path that followed.