Back Gloster Javelin Afrikaans غلوستر جافلين Arabic Gloster Javelin Czech Gloster Javelin German Gloster Javelin Spanish Gloster Javelin Finnish Gloster Javelin French Gloster Javelin Galician Gloster Javelin Hungarian Gloster Javelin ID
| Javelin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | All-weather fighter-interceptor |
| Manufacturer | Gloster Aircraft Company |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 436 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 29 February 1956 |
| First flight | 26 November 1951 |
| Retired | April 1968 |
| Variants | Gloster P.370 |
The Gloster Javelin is a twin-engined all-weather interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. It was a T-tailed delta-wing aircraft designed for night and all-weather operations and was the last aircraft design to bear the Gloster name. Introduced in 1956 after a lengthy development period, the aircraft received several upgrades during production to its engines, radar and weapons, including support for the De Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missile.
The Javelin was succeeded in the interceptor role by the English Electric Lightning, a supersonic aircraft capable of flying at more than double the Javelin's top speed, which was introduced into the RAF only a few years later. The Javelin served for much of its life alongside the Lightning; the last Javelins were withdrawn from operational service in 1968 following the introduction of successively more capable versions of the Lightning.