Operational Requirement

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An Operational Requirement, commonly abbreviated OR, was a United Kingdom (UK) Air Ministry document setting out the required characteristics for a future (i.e., as-yet unbuilt) military aircraft or weapon system.

The numbered OR would describe what intended role the aircraft would be used for, e.g., bomber, fighter, etc., or what type of weapon was required, e.g., gun, armament, bomb type, etc.

In conjunction with any official specification, prospective manufacturers would then choose whether to design an aircraft or weapon for this particular requirement.

Operational Requirements were carried over with the dissolution of the Air Ministry and the creation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Other requirements

An Experimental Requirement (ER) was for an aircraft for research purposes; e.g., ER.100 in support of development of the English Electric Lightning.

Notes

v t e Cold War military projects of the United Kingdom
list of code names used for projects (Rainbow Codes)
air-to-air missiles	Blue Sky (Fireflash) Blue Jay (Firestreak) Red Dean Red Hebe Red Top Taildog/SRAAM Skyflash
air-to-surface missiles	Blue Steel Green Cheese
surface-to-air missiles	Blue Envoy CF.299 (Sea Dart) Green Light (SeaCat) Red Duster (Bloodhound) Red Shoes (Thunderbird) Seaslug Violet Friend
surface-to-surface missiles	Blue Slug Blue Streak Blue Water Blue Rapier / Red Rapier Orange William (Swingfire)
satellite launch vehicles	Black Arrow Black Knight Black Prince
nuclear bombs	High Explosive Research British hydrogen bomb programme Blue Danube Blue Peacock Orange Herald Red Beard Violet Club WE.177 Yellow Sun
nuclear warheads	ET.317 Red Snow
Cold War military equipment of the United Kingdom

Ministry of Defence

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Political	Secretary of State for Defence Minister of State for the Armed Forces Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry Minister of State for Defence (House of Lords) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People
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Civil Service	Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence Chief Scientific Adviser Director-General Finance Director-General Head Office and Commissioning Services Director-General Nuclear Director-General Security Policy Lead Non-Executive Board Member Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the People Committee Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Audit Committee Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Equipment and Support Board