Editing V bomber (section)

===First generation===
[[File:Vulcan Bomber MOD 45133331.jpg|thumb|Three Vulcans in flight during 1957, wearing [[anti-flash white]] paint and darkened roundels]]
When the first [[Blue Danube (nuclear weapon)|Blue Danube]] atomic bombs were delivered to the Bomber Command Armaments School at [[RAF Wittering]] on 7 and 11 November 1953,{{sfn|Wynn|1997|p=92}} the RAF had no bombers capable of carrying them.{{sfn|Gowing|Arnold|1974|pp=234–235}}{{sfn|Baylis|1995|p=180}} Sir [[William Penney]] noted that "the RAF has handled aircraft for a long time and can fly Valiants as soon as they come off the production line. But the Royal Air Force has not yet handled atomic weapons, therefore, we must get some bombs to the RAF at the earliest possible moment, so that the handling and servicing can be practised and fully worked out."{{sfn|McLelland|2013|pp=73–74}} The Canberra and Valiant were accorded "super priority" status on 13 March 1952, and in December the Vulcan and Victor also received it.{{sfn|Wynn|1997|pp=101–102}}{{sfn|Brookes|1982|p=39}}

The Valiant went into production as the first V bomber in 1955.{{sfn|Wynn|1997|pp=52–54}} The Valiant entered service in February 1955,{{sfn|Wynn|1997|p=115}} the Vulcan in May 1956 and the Victor in November 1957.<ref name="RAF" /> [[No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit RAF|No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit]] was formed at [[RAF Gaydon]] in June 1955 and aircrew training commenced.{{sfn|Jackson|1981|p=19}} The first Valiant squadron, [[No. 138 Squadron RAF|No. 138 Squadron]], formed at RAF Gaydon in January 1955,{{sfn|Rawlings|1985|pp=189-190}}<ref name="RAF">{{cite web |publisher=Royal Air Force |title=Royal Air Force History, 1950–1959 |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/line1950-59.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091211053704/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/line1950-59.html |archive-date=11 December 2009}}</ref> followed by [[No. 543 Squadron RAF|No. 543 Squadron]], which was formed at RAF Gaydon on 1 June 1955 before moving to [[RAF Wyton]]. Two more Valiant bases were established at [[RAF Marham]] and [[RAF Honington]] in 1956, and six more squadrons were formed in quick succession: [[No. 214 Squadron RAF|No. 214 Squadron]] at RAF Marham in March, [[No. 207 Squadron RAF|No. 207 Squadron]] at RAF Marham and [[No. 49 Squadron RAF|No. 49 Squadron]] at RAF Wittering in May, [[No. 148 Squadron RAF|No. 148 Squadron]] at RAF Marham in July, [[No. 7 Squadron RAF|No. 7 Squadron]] at RAF Honington in November and finally [[No. 90 Squadron RAF|No. 90 Squadron]] at RAF Honington in January 1957.{{sfn|Jackson|1981|p=24}}

Vulcan XA895 was allocated to [[No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit RAF|No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit]] at [[RAF Waddington]] in January 1957, and Vulcan aircrew training commenced. The first Vulcan squadron, [[No. 83 Squadron RAF|No. 83 Squadron]], was formed at RAF Waddington in May 1957. It initially used aircraft borrowed from No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit until it received its first Vulcan, XA905, on 11 July 1957. It was followed by [[No. 101 Squadron RAF|No. 101 Squadron]], which was formed at [[RAF Finningley]] on 15 October 1957.{{sfn|Jackson|1981|p=51}} A third Vulcan squadron, [[No. 617 Squadron RAF|No. 617 Squadron]], was formed on 1 May 1958 at [[RAF Scampton]], the same base from which it carried out the [[Dambuster Raids]] in May 1943.{{sfn|Jackson|1981|p=54}} No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit took delivery of its first Victor on 29 November 1957.<ref name="RAF"/> The first operational Victor squadron was [[No. 10 Squadron RAF]], which received its first Victor on 9 April 1958 and was formed on 15 April. This was followed by No. 15 Squadron, which was formed on 1 September 1958, and [[No. 57 Squadron RAF|No. 57 Squadron]], which was formed on 1 January 1959.{{sfn|Jackson|1981|p=79}}

The UK nuclear strike force became known officially as the V force or Main Force.{{sfn|Wynn|1997|pp=ix, 177}}{{sfn|Brookes|1982|pp=102, 132}} V force assets at the end of 1958 were:{{sfn|Rawlings|1985|p=191}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[No. 7 Squadron RAF|No. 7 Squadron]], [[RAF Honington]], Valiant B.1
* [[No. 10 Squadron RAF|No. 10 Squadron]], [[RAF Cottesmore]], Victor B.1
* [[No. 15 Squadron RAF|No. 15 Squadron]], RAF Cottesmore, Victor B.1
* [[No. 18 Squadron RAF|No. 18 Squadron]], [[RAF Finningley]], Valiant B.1
* [[No. 49 Squadron RAF|No. 49 Squadron]], [[RAF Wittering]], Valiant B.1
* [[No. 83 Squadron RAF|No. 83 Squadron]], [[RAF Waddington]], Vulcan B.1
* [[No. 90 Squadron RAF|No. 90 Squadron]], RAF Honington, Valiant B.1
* [[No. 101 Squadron RAF|No. 101 Squadron]], RAF Finningley, Vulcan B.1
* [[No. 138 Squadron RAF|No. 138 Squadron]], RAF Wittering, Valiant B.1
* [[No. 148 Squadron RAF|No. 148 Squadron]], [[RAF Marham]], Valiant B.1
* [[No. 207 Squadron RAF|No. 207 Squadron]], RAF Marham, Valiant B.1
* [[No. 214 Squadron RAF|No. 214 Squadron]], RAF Marham, Valiant B.1
* [[No. 543 Squadron RAF|No. 543 Squadron]], [[RAF Wyton]], Valiant B.1
* [[No. 617 Squadron RAF|No. 617 Squadron]], [[RAF Scampton]], Vulcan B.1
}}