When it came down to it, the Canadian government had to make a tough decision. They couldn’t afford to fund more than one defensive system, and ultimately the Arrow program was canceled in 1959.
In its place, the Bomarc system was created. The program funded the creation of a long-range supersonic missile that would be able to fight off the threats presented by the Soviet’s artificial satellite. The program ultimately led to the creation of the Boeing CIM-10 Bomarc.
Sputnik Stole The Show
In October of 1957, the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow finally made its debut. As expected, it was an occasion that attracted 13,000 spectators as it marked a significant moment in history for Canadian defenses. Marked the RL-201, the debut of the new plane was overshadowed by the Soviets.
Before the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow even had a chance to take off, the Soviet Union stole the show. They launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial Earth satellite. Suddenly no one was interested in Canada’s new airplane.
A Threat From Above
Even though the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was well designed and truly innovative for the times, it was overshadowed by what the Soviets had come up with. Despite how useful the creation of the delta wings would become, Sputnik forced the Western World to change their priorities.
The artificial satellite not only acted as a threat from above, but it also created the illusion that the Soviet Union was more technologically advanced than they actually were. Ultimately, Canadians knew they couldn’t afford to defend themselves from threats coming from the land and space.
Getting Rid Of The Evidence
When the Arrow program was canceled, more than 50 thousand people lost their jobs. The Canadian Mounted Police had suspicions that a Soviet spy was among these former employees, had all evidence of the Avro Arrow destroyed.
This meant all planes, blueprints, data, and parts disappeared practically overnight. However, they completely forgot about the nine prototypes sitting at the bottom of Lake Ontario.
The Only Pieces Left
Senior Engineer, David Shea, worked for Kraken Sonar, one of the companies that helped to fund the “Raise The Arrow” expedition. He explained to the National Post why the prototypes at the bottom of the lake were so important.
“The government destroyed all the drawings, models and burned everything, so it wasn’t replicated. These models, at the bottom of Lake Ontario, are the only intact pieces of that whole program.”