Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:45:00-1:45:17

When to cancel a rainbow-code weapons project

Development should continue until testing shows that the technology is unworkable, then the project should be cancelled.

Defence ProcurementRoyal Navy
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Question

Should any Royal Navy rainbow-code weapons have been cancelled before development proved them unworkable?

Short answer

No. Keep each project alive until testing shows that its technology is not viable, then cancel it.

Notes

The British rainbow-code projects should be allowed to mature far enough to test their underlying technology. A program should be cancelled when evidence shows that its concept is technically unworkable. Testing preserves promising options while identifying genuine dead ends.