Chapter · 13:39-15:12

Cannon, missiles, bombs, and the Red Beard nuclear role

The Scimitar's four ADEN cannon and varied external stores made it unusually flexible for a carrier fighter of its period.

ADEN Cannon AGM-12 Bullpup AIM-9 Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missiles Air-to-Surface Missiles Multi-Role Aircraft Nuclear Strike Nuclear Weapons Red Beard Supermarine Scimitar Unguided Rockets

Watch at this time Full video guide

Notes

The Scimitar carried four 30 mm ADEN cannon, each with 160 rounds. Its four hardpoints could hold drop tanks, unguided rockets, AGM-12 Bullpup or AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, conventional bombs, or one Red Beard nuclear weapon. A Scimitar could carry mixed stores rather than loading every station alike. That flexibility gave the fleet an aircraft able to shift among fighter, attack, and nuclear strike duties.