Robert Hooks

Senior Cranwell Staff

Air Vice-Marshal Robert Hooks, who has died aged 96, was an RAF engineer officer closely involved in the introduction of guided missiles into RAF service and the trials and development of the Skybolt air-launched nuclear missile.During the 1950s, the RAF’s fleet of V-bombers provided the core of the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent. The British-developed Blue Streak intermediate-range ballistic missile, designed to replace the V-bombers, was cancelled in 1960. To offset this loss, the then prime minister, Harold Macmillan, met President Eisenhower in March 1960 and obtained an agreement to acquire Skybolt for the RAF.At the time, Hooks was serving in the MoD dealing with guided-weapons trials and reliability. He was given the task of planning a programme for an RAF Trials Unit to go to the US to test the 1,000-mile-range missile. At the beginning of 1961 he joined the 200-man RAF detachment at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida for the advanced testing of Skybolt with the Vulcan Mark 2.It soon became clear that several failures of the missile were a cause of concern to the US government, not least because trials of the submarine-launched Polaris missile were making good progress. On November 11 1962 the US informed the British Government that Skybolt was to be cancelled. Three days before Christmas 1962, the sixth Skybolt was launched and worked perfectly, but too late to save the programme for the RAF’s V-force. In early 1963 Hooks returned to England to take up a new appointment.Robert Keith Hooks was born on August 7 1929 in Middlesbrough. He was educated at Acklam Hall school and Constantine College in the town, and London University, where he graduated in engineering.He began his deferred National Service in September 1951 and was commissioned into the RAF Technical Branch to specialise in armaments. He was posted to RAF West Malling in Kent, the home of Meteor day- and night-fighter squadrons. These aircraft were equipped with four 20mm Hispano cannons.Having elected to remain in the RAF, he was granted a permanent commission and served in Germany on fighter bases. In 1955 he was selected to attend one of the first year-long guided-weapons courses at the RAF Technical College in Henlow. It was during this course that the controversial Sandys Defence White Paper of 1956 stated that the day of the manned fighter was over and that missiles would replace them.

Hookes soon felt the impact of this decision as he was seconded to Fairey Aviation at Heston for guided-weapons trials and development. This included the Fireflash air-to-air missile, which had a short life and was replaced by Firestreak. A staff appointment in MoD followed when he worked on guided-weapons trials and reliability before joining the Skybolt trials team.On his return from the US, he joined the staff of the Bomber Command Armament School at RAF Wittering. This included custody, storage, servicing and use of nuclear weapons with the responsibility for training, standardisation and evaluation of procedures for all RAF personnel involved in handling the weapon.In 1967, on promotion to wing commander he returned to more traditional engineering matters when he was appointed to command the Engineering Wing at RAF College Cranwell. More than 60 aircraft were spread over two airfields for training aircrew, in addition to a large ground engineering organisation.At Cranwell, Hooks took advantage of the College Flying Club, learning to fly and gaining his private pilot’s licence. He later qualified as an instructor.In 1969 he headed for Singapore and the HQ of the RAF’s Far East Air Force. During his two years there he had to maintain the efficiency of the remaining squadrons and support during the period that the RAF was running down the three airfields before final withdrawal from the area on October 31 1971.Hooks spent the next three years as Superintendent of Armament at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down. A wide range of weapons was being evaluated, and their integration for carriage and release by aircraft was a major task.After a period at MoD responsible for ground training, he returned to the armament world in 1976 when he was appointed Director of Air Armaments in the MoD’s Procurement Executive. This was a period of significant developments with the introduction of new weapons including laser-guided bombs, air-to-air missiles and the airfield denial weapon JP233, designed to attack runways. RAF aircraft still carried nuclear weapons from bases in Germany and in the UK and new stand-off weapons were in development. At the end of his tour in 1980, Hooks was appointed CBE.In 1980 he was appointed Vice-President (Air) of the Ordnance Board, and his final appointment before retiring in May 1994 was as a Director General of Aircraft in the Procurement Executive.