ArtistsRifles Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Is it a functional bit of kit - or purely decorative???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul connor Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 minature missile .. pen or paper weight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 14, 2006 Author Share Posted September 14, 2006 (edited) So here it is: It is a silver plated minature not a working weapon. What weapon is it a minature of? Why has it been made? Not a pen or paperweight but good idea. Edited November 15, 2009 by Marmite!! Photo link repaired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Vigilant missile... is it for wind tunnel tests Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 14, 2006 Author Share Posted September 14, 2006 Vigilant missile Yes well done! But what type of Vigilant? There were 3 production models. is it for wind tunnel tests No nothing as intricate as that related to a more odious activity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul connor Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Is it a maroi Blowpipe Ballistic weapon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 15, 2006 Author Share Posted September 15, 2006 Well there were three production missiles, the Vickers Type 891, 897 & 889. This is a model of a Type 897. Any ideas as to what this decorative item was originally fixed to? Vigilant was a very advanced missile for its time (velocity controlled) & superior to the foreign stuff that was on the market (acceleration controlled). This was recognised by a Middle Eastern country that was keen to buy. HMG blocked all sales to the Middle East. What was that country, anyone know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted September 16, 2006 Share Posted September 16, 2006 Well there were three production missiles, the Vickers Type 891, 897 & 889. This is a model of a Type 897. Any ideas as to what this decorative item was originally fixed to? Umm - top of a flag pennon ??? Vigilant was a very advanced missile for its time (velocity controlled) & superior to the foreign stuff that was on the market (acceleration controlled). This was recognised by a Middle Eastern country that was keen to buy. HMG blocked all sales to the Middle East. What was that country, anyone know? Jordan? or Saudi Arabia??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 16, 2006 Author Share Posted September 16, 2006 Sorry Neil, no, no & no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted September 16, 2006 Share Posted September 16, 2006 Hmmm - only other countries I can think off who could have afforded such systems would be Iran, Iraq and Egypt - all firmly in the hands of the Soviet military machine at that time I think??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 16, 2006 Author Share Posted September 16, 2006 I retract my earlier response about Saudi Arabia they bought them in 1964. Another Middle Eastern country bought Vigilant in 1961 & another in 1965. If you get those countries you may see the pattern emerging about the earlier ban. The mystery country had been using the inferior French SS10 which they had used in action & wanted something better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Not many left, Israel and Syria? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 17, 2006 Author Share Posted September 17, 2006 Not many left, Israel and Syria? Yup it was Israel, they know a thing or two about weapons to defend themselves & recognised the value of Vigilant early on. It seems a shame that the British Army had such difficulty in appreciating its potential as they rejected it twice! When it was finally accepted instead of using as intended as a man portable weapon they stuck it on a Ferret. I have heard both sides of the argument having been in contact with the man responsible for rejecting it & a man from the Vickers Vigilant sales team who provided me with the minature missile. HMG refused to allow sales ofl Vigilant to Israel as we were trying to sell tanks to the Arabs & sales would be lost if an effective anti-tank guided weapon was sold to their potential opponents. We had no problems selling Vigilant to: Kuwait 1961 Saudi Arabia 1964 Libya 1965 British Army 1965 (final & eventual acceptance) Finland 1963 There were two other countries that wanted to use it & manufacture it under licence. One to the east & one to the west any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 One to the west - might this be America?? The kit we come up with is usually way ahead of anything they do - e.g TSR-2. Challenger (& Chobham armour), Harrier etc. Only problem is - for us - the politico's over here either scrap our own stuff and buy inferior US kit to keep them happy - or we sell the rights to the product and let the Yanks take the profits instead..... :cry: :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 17, 2006 Author Share Posted September 17, 2006 One to the west - might this be America?? Yup in 1959 the USMC were going to buy it & a version was to be made under licence by the aerospace company Clevite. I have what could be the only Clevite launchbox in the world. It was evaluated by the British Army & you can see the original pencil markings used in the construction of the launchbox. I'd better call it a launching box otherwise it sounds posh speak for a lunch box :lol: Anyway for some reason it all fizzled out. Now the country to the east sent representatives over here but on the pretext of manufacture under licence. The fear was that it was just a cover to get ideas & they were discouraged from contact with the development scientists as scientists don't think in terms of finance or politics but like to boast of their achievements. A particular problem for any wire guided ATGM was wire snatch at launch. What was that country, anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Now the country to the east sent representatives over here but on the pretext of manufacture under licence. The fear was that it was just a cover to get ideas & they were discouraged from contact with the development scientists as scientists don't think in terms of finance or politics but like to boast of their achievements. What was that country, anyone? Clive, Getting bored with this one now :-D , so going to have a stab at it. The country you mentioned, was it Iraq? And your object, could it be a promotional item, like a pencil sharpener? Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 Ok well lets wrap it up then, not Iraq it was Pakistan. Promotional item, yes. Not a pencil sharpener, but I do have one in the form of a small penknife with VIGILANT stamped on one side & an image of the missile on the other. This missile was mounted on the side of an ashtray that would be given to a minister of defence/procurement dept etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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