FERRANTI "BLUE PARROT" AIRBORNE DISPLAY UNIT, c.1959 First introduced experimentally into the Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft in April 1959, the Ferranti 'Blue Parrot' airborne radar was in full service by 1962. Designed to detect Russian heavy cruisers, which it did successfully, it was employed by the Royal Navy from 1962 to the early 70s, and by the RAF from1968. Buccaneer aircraft were used in both the Falklands and Gulf Wars, giving Blue Parrot a total service life of over 30 years. It’s last operational exercise was over the North Sea in 1994.
Design based on early GEC catalogue pages
The former GEC Archives Collection is now only available to view here on the web