Iraqi Supergun takes pride of place at Fort Nelson

11th July 2011

Sections of one of the most infamous pieces of 20th Century artillery – the Iraqi Supergun – now occupy a prime position in the spectacular new Voice of The Guns gallery at Fort Nelson.

Development of the Iraqi weapon remains shrouded in secrecy – along with the murder of its inventor - but if all the tubes had been fully assembled the Supergun would have stretched over 150 metres and been able to send projectiles into a low orbit.

The Royal Armouries Museum at Fareham – home to the national collection of big guns – holds two sections of the barrel, weighing 2.1 tonnes.

Other background information includes:

• British Customs’ officers seized eight sections of the gun in March 1990 at Teesport Docks – as part of a consignment en route to Iraq.  Allowing the Bahamas-registered vessel to sail with its consignment would have contravened a ban on arms sales to Saddam Hussein’s state.

• Investigations revealed the gun was part of Saddam’s  "Project Babylon".  If assembled, the gun would have been the biggest gun in the modern world.

• The weapon was the brainchild of Canadian Dr Gerald Bull, who was assassinated shortly before the parts were discovered.

Britain’s oldest museum, the Royal Armouries, contracted international engineers Beck and Pollitzer to move the gun into its new position as part of a £3.5m revamp, part funded by a grant of more than £2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

As part of the redevelopment the engineers moved 14 guns into the new gallery, The Voice of the Guns, at Fort Nelson, near Portsmouth last week, paving the way for the museum’s relaunch on August 6.
Moving the guns from storage to the new gallery, is a major milestone in a year-long construction project to refurbish the Victorian Fort, sympathetically, into a museum fit for the 21st Century. Other major improvements include a new visitor centre, café, education centre and extended parking.

The Fort remains open during the gun movement operation. For more details, visit www.royalarmouries.org

Media contact: Joss Loader.
Telephone: 07838 379599.
E-mail: joss@primarypr.co.uk

About the fort:

• The Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson houses the national collection of historic cannon and big guns. The museum houses one of the world’s finest collections with over 350 cannon dating back over 600 years and from every corner of the earth. The collection originated at HM Tower of London and has been on display in Hampshire since 1995. Website: www.royalarmouries.org
• Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage.  HLF has supported over 30,000 projects, allocating £4.6billion across the UK.  Website: www.hlf.org.uk
• The Royal Armouries Museum should not be confused with Royal Armouries International plc, the private sector corporate hospitality business.