V is for Vulnerable: Operational Research and the V-Bombers

摘要

Operational Research (OR), commonly defined by practitioners as the application of scientific methodology to operational problems, had a distinguished record during World War II. This article examines the post-war use of OR in relation to the deployment of Britain's 1950s nuclear deterrent, the V-Bomber Force. The calculations of OR analysts are highlighted, together with the findings of their assessments which, it is argued, pointed to increasing operational restrictions in relation to the V-Force. The politi-cisation of OR is then highlighted and it is argued that different factions in the Polaris debate sought to control OR findings to support their cause.