The Royal Air Force

Two McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom FGR2s from 56 Squadron based at RAF Wattisham carrying their operational weapon load. Each aircraft is each armed with four AIM-9L Sidewinder infra-red seeking AAMs and four BAe Dynamics Skyflash semi-active radar homing AAMs. In the late 1970s five Phantom squadrons (23, 29, 43, 56 and 111) were responsible for the air defence of the UK and a further two units (19 and 92 Squadrons) were based in RAF Germany. (Richard Cooke)

One of the many paradoxes of the Cold War was that the traditional ‘front-line’ aircraft tended to be more involved with QRA duties or exercises than with flying on active operations. By the mid-1970s the NATO system of Tactical Evaluation (Taceval) dominated the calendars of the fast jet and maritime squadrons. An annual Taceval tested each unit’s preparedness for war and their ability to continue to operate effectively in Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) conditions and under enemy attack. As a result, the RAF stations of the late Cold War were exceptionally well prepared to fight a war that never came. The Taceval system included the Air Transport (AT) and Support Helicopter (SH) forces, but they were also involved in operational flying beyond the NATO Central Region, either in support of the other services or in humanitarian relief operations. In particular, the SH squadrons had become an integral part of army operations in Northern Ireland. SH squadrons were the only units based permanently in Cyprus (84 Squadron) and Hong Kong (28 Squadron), where they also supported routine army operations. The only fixed-wing assets based outside the Central Region were Nimrods of 203 Squadron and Canberra PR7 and PR9 reconnaissance aircraft in Malta.

The Defence White Paper published in spring 1975 reaffirmed the policy of the 1968 White Paper to concentrate the armed forces in Central Europe and the Eastern Atlantic. However, it went further than the previous document by announcing the removal of the RAF squadrons based in Malta by 1979 and the halving of the RAF’s air-transport fleet. Four transport squadrons were to be disbanded: 46 Squadron equipped with Andovers, 99 and 511 Squadrons both equipped with Britannias and 216 Squadron equipped with Comets. The numbers of Hercules and VC10s would also be reduced. This left the Belfasts of 53 Squadron as the only AT force to be untouched, although in fact they did not survive the following year’s review. However, the White Paper confirmed that the Harriers of 1 Squadron and four Wessexes of 72 Squadron would continue to be committed to the Allied Command Europe (ACE) Mobile Force and that the UK Mobile Force would continue to include the Phantoms (shortly to be replaced by the SEPECAT Jaguar GR1s) of 6, 41 and 54 Squadrons, the Wessexes of 72 Squadron and Pumas of 33 and 230 Squadrons. The Nimrod force would be reduced by 25 percent (to be achieved by the disbandment of 203 Squadron), but the rest of Strike Command’s forces would remain extant. The Vulcan Wings at RAF Waddington and RAF Scampton remained, as did the Victor Tanker Wing at RAF Marham; however, 543 Squadron had already been disbanded and the strategic-reconnaissance role taken over by Vulcan B2(SR) aircraft of 27 Squadron. At RAF Honington two squadrons of Buccaneer S2Bs (12 and 208 Squadrons) provided a maritime strike capability.

At that time, most of the Lightnings were in the process of being replaced by Phantoms as those aircraft were released from the ground-attack role by the introduction of the Jaguar. The first Phantom FGR2 Air Defence (AD) unit was 111 Squadron, at RAF Leuchars, in October 1974, although 43 Squadron had operated the Phantom FG1 in the AD role since 1969. By summer 1976, the UK’s AD force comprised the Phantoms of 23, 29, 43, 56 and 111 Squadrons, the Lightnings of 5 and 11 Squadrons and the Bloodhound 2 SAMs of 85 Squadron. Aircraft and missile systems were part of an integrated warning and control organization, which received data from the Linesman air-defence radars at Burrington, Neatishead, Saxton Wold, Boulmer, Buchan, Saxa Vord, Benbecula and Bishop’s Court (as well as the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS)at RAF Fylingdales). These ground-based radars were augmented by the Shackleton AEW2 early warning aircraft of 8 Squadron. Incursions into the UK Air Defence Region (UKADR) by Soviet aircraft were relatively common occurrences, about four per week in 1978 rising to six per week by 1980; they would be intercepted by Phantoms or Lightnings, accompanied by Victor tankers.

At the focal point of the government’s ‘Central Europe policy,’ RAFG remained undiminished by the White Paper; indeed, it was in the process of another major upgrade. The Strike/Attack Wing at RAF Brüggen, comprising the Phantom FGR2 aircraft of 14, 17 and 31 Squadrons, was in the process of re-equipping with Jaguars. The Lightning F2A fighters of 19 and 92 Squadrons at RAF Gütersloh would soon be re-equipped with Phantoms which would then be redeployed to RAF Wildenrath; this would free Gütersloh for the Harrier GR3 Wing (comprising 3, 4 and 20 Squadrons at Wildenrath) to join the Wessexes of 18 Squadron there, putting them much closer to the army units they would support in wartime. At RAF Laarbruch, which was also home to Buccaneers of 15 and 16 Squadrons, 2 Squadron would replace its Phantoms with Jaguars in the tactical reconnaissance role. The Bloodhounds of 25 Squadron provided another layer of defence to the ‘Clutch’ stations of RAF Brüggen, Wildenrath and Laarbruch, and an in-theatre AT facility was provided by the Pembrokes of 60 Squadron.

Guatemala began to re-assert its long-standing claim to the territory of Belize in the summer of 1975. When Guatemalan troops were reported to be massing close to the border, the army garrison was reinforced and three Puma helicopters from 33 Squadron, were transported to Belize by Belfasts of 53 Squadron on 11 October. On 8 November, six Harriers from 1 Squadron also arrived at Belize City airport. A programme of ‘flag waving’ sorties appeared to defuse the situation and the Harriers were withdrawn in April 1976, leaving the Pumas and a detachment of RAF Regiment Bofors anti-aircraft guns to support the army garrison. The contingency plan for any future reinforcement of Belize was to send four Hunter FGA9 aircraft from the Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU) at Brawdy, as had been done successfully at Gibraltar.

In the mid-1970s, the SEPECAT Jaguar GR1 replaced the Phantom in the ground-attack role. These aircraft are from 6 Squadron, one of three squadrons based in the UK and assigned to the Mobile Force. A further five squadrons were part of RAF Germany: 14, 17, 20 and 31 Squadrons were based at Brüggen, Germany, in the strike/attack role and 2 Squadron was a reconnaissance unit based at RAF Laarbruch. (Richard Cooke)

A BAe Harrier GR3 of 1 Squadron operating from a rough strip in Belize. After a temporary detachment in late 1975 and early 1976, the Harriers were redeployed to Belize in 1977 for what became a permanent detachment. (Richard Cooke)

However, this idea proved impractical firstly because of the difficulty in deploying the aircraft with no AAR facility over such a distance and secondly because of a shortage of TWU instructors, so when the crisis reignited in June 1977, six Harriers from 1 Squadron were again sent to Belize. This time the Harrier detachment remained in the country and it was formalized in 1980 as 1417 Flight; the Puma detachment became 1563 Flight. Both units were manned by personnel, both aircrew and ground crew, on roulement from the UK and RAFG squadrons. The responsibility for the RAF Regiment Bofors detachment was also shared between 58, 48 and 66 Squadrons RAF Regt. The RAF retained the force of Harriers and Pumas in Belize until July 1993.

A third ‘Cod War’ dispute with Iceland over fishing in the North Atlantic was triggered in November 1975 by the unilateral declaration by Iceland that its EEZ now extended to a distance of 200 miles – rather than 50 miles – from the coastline. Once again, the RN sent ships into the disputed area to ensure the safety of British fishing vessels and RAF maritime patrol aircraft supported their efforts. These activities were known as Operation Heliotrope. The bulk of this task was flown by the Nimrod squadrons, although some sorties were flown by the Hastings T5 radar training aircraft of 230 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), which was equipped with the same radar as the Vulcan. Despite the increased sea area to be covered during this iteration of the ‘Cod War,’ the Nimrod tasking for Exercise Heliotrope was not as intense as it had been for Exercise Dewey, because of the Nimrod Force’s additional tasking to maintain the security of the UK’s offshore oil and gas rigs. The third Cod War continued until June 1976.

A Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR1 of 206 Squadron over Findhorn Bay. Three squadrons (120, 201 and 206) equipped with the type patrolled the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic from RAF Kinloss, Scotland. The southwest approaches to the UK were patrolled by 42 Squadron from RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall. (Crown Copyright)

When the UK introduced its own EEZ on 1 January 1977, patrolling the new fishery area and surveillance of the energy production sites was formalized into Operation Tapestry. Initially four extra aircraft (one per squadron) were allocated to the Nimrod force to cover the new task of flying five nine-hour patrols of the EEZ each week. During these sorties the position and identity of all fishing vessels were noted and checked. The Nimrod units also maintained a 24-hour standby for Search And Rescue (SAR) duties; in the SAR role the aircraft was invaluable firstly in locating vessels in distress, using the Searchwater radar fitted to the Nimrod MR2 and secondly in acting as a communications relay for SAR helicopters or lifeboats. Additionally, the aircraft were routinely fitted with dinghies and survival aids that could be dropped if necessary.

The bulk of the work carried out by the Nimrod squadrons was the finding and tracking of Soviet submarines. The submarines were usually detected by the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) as they transited through the Iceland–Faroes gap. NATO Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) would then be called in to locate the vessel by dropping a pattern of Sonobuoys and then to track its progress, again using Sonobuoy drops. When one MPA came to the end of its patrol, another would take its place, and in this way the Soviet submarines could be kept under surveillance for most of their time at sea. Detachments to Gibraltar, Sigonella (Sicily) and Cyprus enabled the Nimrod force to keep track of Soviet submarines and surface vessels in the Mediterranean.

A Blackburn (BAe) Buccaneer S2B flying over the Nevada desert. The aircraft is painted in an experimental camouflage for the first RAF par ticipation in Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, in 1977. (Rolfe)

A notice at the main gate at RAF Brüggen in the late 1970s encapsulated the ethos of the RAF in the latter days of the Cold War: ‘Our task in peace is to train for war – and don’t you forget it.’ While the regime of Taceval ensured that the command and control of the front-line forces were of the highest standards, it was arguably participation in Exercise Red Flag that honed the aircrew’s operational skills. The exercise had been born from the USAF’s experiences over Vietnam, where the US military found firstly that aircrew were most likely to be shot down in their first eight to ten combat sorties and secondly that if they could survive those sorties, their chances of surviving the rest of their combat tour were increased dramatically. Not only that, but they became much more operationally effective after those initial sorties. In fact, this finding closely matched their findings after the Korean War as well as the observations of both Adolph Galland in World War II and Manfred von Richthofen in World War I. The concept of this exercise, which was held in the Nevada desert to the north of Las Vegas, was to replicate as closely as possible the experience of the first few sorties in a real war. In the training areas north of Nellis Air Force Base, life-size replicas of Warsaw Pact airfields, as well as industrial targets and troop concentrations were built, defended by a Soviet-style integrated air defence system with Soviet missile and gun systems and an ‘Aggressor’ squadron of fighters using standard Warsaw Pact tactics. The whole system included video recording and telemetry so that every sortie could be debriefed in great detail and the lessons from each exercise sortie could be fully learnt.

Exercise Red Flag was first held in November 1975 and two years later the RAF was invited to be the first foreign participant. Over the four-week period of the exercise in August and September 1977, the RAF contingent comprised two Vulcans and ten Buccaneers. In the first 14 days, the Buccaneers were crewed by personnel from 208 Squadron and in the second 14 days they were flown by crews from RAFG. The aircraft were fitted with Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM) pods and crews were cleared to fly as low as 100ft above ground level (AGL). For the Vulcans the limit was 300ft AGL but the Vulcans also flew night exercise sorties using the aircraft’s rudimentary Terrain Following System to fly at 1,000ft AGL. Each exercise mission included numerous other tactical aircraft, including other ground attack aircraft, defence suppression aircraft and fighter escort, so there might be over 100 aircraft in the training areas.

A Westland Aerospatiale Puma HC1 flying snow-covered terrain in Norway. The type equipped 33 and 230 Squadrons at RAF Odiham, and was used to support army operations and exercises from the Arctic to the Caribbean. (Crown Copyright)

The following year, the Vulcans and Buccaneers returned to Nellis AFB along with Jaguars from both Strike Command and RAFG. Participation by RAF aircraft had become a permanent feature of Exercise Red Flag and in the late 1970s and 1980s every RAF strike/attack squadron could expect an exercise ‘slot’ once every two years.

A Westland Wessex HC2 of 28 Squadron over Hong Kong. The helicopters were used to support the army in the colony and also for search and rescue (SAR) operations. An additional role was in the fight against smuggling by flying operations to halt the lucrative black market trade between Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China. (RAFM)

The first operational squadron to use helicopters in the SAR role was 22 Squadron, which received Whirlwind HAR2 aircraft in 1955; however, this was not an entirely successful venture and it was not until the later advent of the Whirlwind HAR10 that helicopter SAR became truly viable. Through the 1960s the operation matured and by the mid-1970s the SAR force was an efficient and effective organization covering rescue operations both at sea and in mountainous areas. UK SAR operations were controlled by two Rescue Co-ordination Centres (RCC), one in Plymouth and one at Pitreavie Castle, which co-ordinated the efforts of the RAF, RN, Coast Guard and RNLI. In 1979, the RAF’s SAR force comprised two squadrons, 22 Squadron and 202 Squadron, which between them operated detached flights at RAF Lossiemouth, Leuchars, Boulmer, Leconfield, Coltishall, Manston, Culdrose, Chivenor, Brawdy and Valley. Both squadrons had also recently exchanged their Whirlwinds for more capable aircraft: 22 Squadron operated the Wessex HAR2 and 202 Squadron the Sea King HAR3. With great courage and skill, often flying in the most appalling weather conditions, RN and RAF SAR helicopters would typically respond to about 1,300 callouts each year in the late 1970s, resulting in an annual total of around 1,000 lives saved; in 1979, this included the rescue of 139 survivors from 24 yachts which capsized during the year’s Fastnet Race. In 1980, the Sea Kings from 202 Squadron were involved in rescue operations after the Alexander Kielland oil rig capsized in the North Sea ‘Ecofisk’ oilfield.

The overseas-based helicopter units, 84 Squadron in Cyprus and 28 Squadron in Hong Kong, also had SAR responsibilities in their theatres. For 28 Squadron, a major additional task was the support of naval and police counter-smuggling operations. Frequently operating at night, smugglers – often smuggling illegal immigrants into Hong Kong – were equipped with high-performance motor boats, which were much faster than the patrol craft used by the authorities. The helicopters were used to find and chase the smugglers’ boats, often using ‘Nightsun’ searchlights, to make them predictable enough for the naval or police vessels to intercept them.

In late 1979, six Pumas from 230 Squadron were detached to Rhodesia for four months to support the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in disarming the combatants in the civil war and preparing the country for a new future as Zimbabwe. A number of Hercules were also involved in the operation.

In Northern Ireland, the operational helicopter tasking had increased during the late 1970s and 72 Squadron was deployed permanently to Aldergrove on 12 November 1981. Apart from patrol insertion and extraction, sometimes under small-arms fire, the helicopters were also used for transferring internees from police holding areas to the Maze prison. Such missions would be undertaken by a formation of five Wessexes: four carrying internees and one providing ‘top cover’ with armed troops on board. Another task was to fly ‘Eagle Patrols’ along the border with Eire. This involved reconnaissance of roads along the border, carrying a section of troops; if a suspicious vehicle was seen, the helicopter would land the troops ahead of it to set up a roadblock. This proved to be an effective tactic in reducing arms smuggling across the border.

One of the unintentional consequences of the 1981 Defence Review was that the withdrawal of the Antarctic Survey ship HMS Endurance was perceived by the Argentinian junta to be a signal that the UK was not prepared to defend its interests in the South Atlantic. On 19 March 1982, a group of Argentine marines landed on the British overseas territory of South Georgia island and claimed the island for Argentina. Then, on 2 April, London was again taken by surprise when a large Argentinian naval assault force landed on the Falkland Islands. In response, a British naval task force, including the aircraft carriers HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes, began to assemble and ships started the voyage towards the Falklands from 5 April. By this time, the RAF had already established a forward operating base at Wideawake airfield on Ascension Island, which lay just over half way between the UK and the Falklands. However, the 4,000-mile distance between the UK and Ascension still presented challenges: the Hercules could not fly that distance directly, so they were routed via Dakar in Senegal. By 5 April 1982, eight flights a day were leaving for Ascension and a week later, after dropping non-essential tasks, Hercules were departing their base at RAF Lyneham for Ascension every 45min through the day. By the end of the conflict the RAF Hercules fleet had flown some 7,000 tons of supplies into Ascension Island.

When the Falklands Campaign was launched an air-to-air (AAR) capability had to be hastily introduced for the Nimrod MR2 fleet, to enable the aircraft to fly long-range patrols from Ascension Island. Here a Nimrod MR2P refuels over the South Atlantic from a Victor K2 of 57 Squadron. (120 Squadron Archive)

Two Nimrod MR1 MPAs from 42 Squadron started patrols from Ascension Island from 5 April and a fortnight later they were joined by five Victor K2 tankers from 55 and 57 Squadrons. The Victors were tasked with carrying out Maritime Radar Reconnaissance sorties around South Georgia and on 20 April Sqn Ldr J. Elliott completed the longest distance ever flown on an operational reconnaissance flight when he covered over 7,000 miles in a 14-hour 45min sortie. The radar imagery showed that the area was free from Argentine warships, so the naval task force could start the operation to take back the island. South Georgia was retaken by naval forces and SAS troops on 25 April.

On 29 April, Vulcans from 44, 50 and 101 Squadrons started to arrive at Ascension Island. The next evening, a Vulcan from 101 Squadron captained by Flt Lt M. Withers, accompanied by ten Victors, took off from Ascension for Operation Black Buck, a 3,900-mile bombing mission to the Falkland Islands. After five AAR brackets, the Vulcan left the last Victor and descended to low level to remain under the radar horizon from the Falklands. Nearing the target, the Vulcan climbed to 10,000ft and dropped 21 1,000lb bombs, which were radar-aimed at the runway at Port Stanley airfield. The Vulcan returned safely to Ascension after 15 hours and 45min, having hit the runway and having completed the longest ever bombing mission under combat conditions. The raid on Port Stanley airfield was followed up by another bombing attack on the airstrips at Port Stanley and Goose Green just after dawn by the Sea Harriers of 800 Squadron FAA, operating from HMS Hermes. Both of the FAA Sea Harrier units in the task force, 800 and 801 Squadrons, included RAF pilots on exchange postings to the FAA and the first air-to-air kill of the campaign was achieved by Flt Lt P. Barton of 801 Squadron, who shot down a Dassault Mirage III on 1 May.

Two Harrier GR3s from 1 Squadron armed with 68mm SNEB rockets carry out a training sortie over Scotland: scenery very similar to that of the Falkland Islands. The squadron deployed to the South Atlantic, with ten aircraft based on Ascension Island and a further six aircraft embarked on HMS Hermes. Combat operations over the Falklands started on 20 May 1982. (Richard Cooke)

A second Black Buck mission was flown on the night of 3/4 May by a Vulcan from 50 Squadron, again tasked against the airfield with free-fall bombs. Once again, the raid was followed up by a Sea Harrier strike against the airfield. Air operations were limited over the next two weeks because of poor weather in the South Atlantic. However, a steady stream of equipment and supplies was arriving at Ascension Island, thanks to the large-scale airlift by RAF Hercules and VC10s. More aircraft began to gather there, too, including the first Nimrod MR2P aircraft from 120, 201 and 206 Squadrons. Amongst some hasty modifications which were approved and installed in the early days of the crisis was an AAR capability for the Nimrod MR2, using surplus Vulcan AAR probes. These aircraft were designated Nimrod MR2P, some of which were also modified to carry AIM9-L missiles for self-defence. The first operational patrol by these aircraft was flown by a 201 Squadron crew on 15 May: after completing two AAR brackets, the aircraft flew to approximately 150 miles north of the Falklands then headed west towards Argentina before turning back northbound to parallel the coast on the return leg, scanning the sea with its Searchwater radar. This 19‑hour sortie confirmed that there were no Argentinian naval vessels at sea which might threaten the Task Force. Similar Nimrod MRR patrols were repeated over the next week, including a sortie on 21 May by a 206 Squadron crew which covered some 8,453 miles, thus setting another record for the longest distance ever flown on an operational reconnaissance flight.

A Harrier GR3 from 1 Squadron prepares for a sortie aboard HMS Hermes. The aircraft is loaded with a 1,000lb Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb (LGB). These weapons were used briefly at the end of the campaign: for the majority of ground-attack missions the Harriers were armed with 1,000lb high-explosive (HE) bombs or BL755 Cluster Bomb Units (CBUs). (RN Official Photographer/IWM/Getty)

A BAe Harrier GR3 lands on the flight deck of HMS Hermes after an operational sortie over the Falkland Islands.

A Boeing CH-47C Chinook HC1 lifts stores from an improvised helideck on the RMS Queen Elizabeth II. Only one Chinook survived the sinking of the MV Atlantic Conveyor, but it played a vital part in the land campaign in East Falkland. (JHDC Archive/Getty)

Ten Harriers of 1 Squadron were flown to Ascension Island in the first week of May. Four of these aircraft were armed with AIM9-L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to provide air defence for Ascension Island as an interim measure until three Phantoms from 29 Squadron arrived to take over on 25 May. Meanwhile, the remaining six Harriers had been flown onto the container ship Atlantic Conveyor on 6 May for transport to the operational area. The ship also carried four Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopters from 18 Squadron. The Harriers were transferred from the Atlantic Conveyor onto HMS Hermes on 18 May and flew their first mission two days later, against a fuel dump on the eastern side of West Falkland. They were in action again providing close air support to troops during the landings in San Carlos Water on 21 May. Over the next days, the Harriers of 1 Squadron carried out airstrikes on the airstrip at Pebble Island and the airfield at Port Stanley, as well as CAS missions, sometimes operating in conjunction with Sea Harriers.

Three of the Chinooks aboard the Atlantic Conveyor were lost when the ship was sunk on 25 May, but the following day the remaining Chinook arrived at Port San Carlos where it was pressed into service. The aircraft, which could carry an impressive load of 10 tons of ammunition or stores or 80 troops, played a vital role in the campaign. On the night of 30 May it was used to lift three 105mm artillery guns into new firing positions on Mount Kent. The following night a Vulcan of 50 Squadron carried out another long-range mission, this time an attack against the Argentinian early warning radars on the islands. The aircraft fired two AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missiles but the results were inconclusive. Meanwhile, the Harriers had continued to fly CAS missions in support of the troops advancing inland from San Carlos; however, they had also lost three aircraft to ground fire in that time, so two replacement Harriers were flown directly from Ascension Island to the Task Force on 1 June. Two more reinforcement aircraft arrived a week later.

Another Vulcan Shrike mission on 3 June successfully neutralized a Skyguard gun-control radar near Port Stanley; on the same day 63 Squadron RAF Regt assumed responsibility for the air defence of Port San Carlos with its BAe Dynamics Rapier SAMs. Poor winter weather again intervened to disrupt air operations over the Falklands, but on 5 June it cleared sufficiently for Harriers and Sea Harriers to use a temporary airstrip (known as ‘Syd’s Strip’) at Port San Carlos to reduce their normal transit time from the Task Force to the operational area. By now the Argentinian forces had been pushed back to the easternmost tip of East Falkland, around the capital Port Stanley. Harrier operations continued apace over the next week using BL-755 Cluster Bomb Units (CBUs) and rockets and, for example, on 11 June ten sorties were flown into what was a hotly defended area. Argentine troop positions near Port Stanley airfield were also attacked the next day by a Vulcan from 101 Squadron, which dropped 21 airburst-fused 1,000lb bombs. From 13 June, Harriers armed with 1,000lb Laser-Guided Bombs (LGBs) flew missions co-ordinated by ground-based Forward Air Controllers (FACs) equipped with laser designators, but further use of these weapons was not needed: Argentine forces surrendered the following day.

A Shrike-armed Avro Vulcan frames a busy scene at Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island during the Falklands War: the Hercules transports and Chinook and Wessex helicopters were a vital part of the logisitcs support for combat operations. (Thomas)

After the ceasefire, the Task Force remained in the South Atlantic until the end of the month. On 4 July, the Harriers of 1 Squadron were transferred from HMS Hermes to Port Stanley airfield where they were tasked with the air defence of the islands. Once again this was a stop-gap measure until the airfield could be repaired and lengthened sufficiently for the Phantoms of 29 Squadron to use. At 4,000ft the runway at Port Stanley was far too short for Phantom operations, but the Royal Engineers were able to extend it by another 2,000ft using steel ‘matting;’ since this represented the very minimum distance required by the Phantom, five arrestor wires were also installed. The first four Phantoms deployed to Port Stanley on 17 October 1982, followed by the rest of the squadron in the following days. Although most of the 1 Squadron personnel had been repatriated by then, the Harrier detachment remained in the ground-attack role and to cover the air defence duties on days when strong crosswinds prevented Phantom operations. The Phantom and Harrier detachments were manned by personnel on four-month roulements, as was the RAF Regiment Rapier detachment.

An Avro Vulcan armed with an AGM-45 Shrike Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) mounted under the left wing and a Westinghouse AN-ALQ101 Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) pod under the right wing. This was a typical fit for the later Black Buck missions. The mounting points on the Vulcan were originally intended to carry the GAM-87 Skybolt Air-Launched Ballistic Missile (ALBM), which was cancelled in 1962. (Thomas)

During attempts to end the civil war in Lebanon, a multi-national peacekeeping force was stationed in Beirut. This included a British army element, ‘Britforleb,’ which was based in a block of flats in the Hadath district of the city from February 1983. However, by September the situation in Beirut had become critical and Britforleb was considered to be at risk of attack by a number of the many armed factions in the city. Six Buccaneers equipped with Pave Spike laser-designation pods were flown to Akrotiri for Operation Pulsator in early September. The aircraft were flown by crews from both 12 and 208 Squadrons who had been selected for their Pave Spike experience. The first task was to fly a Show of Force over Hadath, firstly to demonstrate to the local warring groups that Britforleb was backed up by air power and secondly to provide a morale raiser for the British troops. On the morning of 11 September 1983, two Buccaneers overflew Beirut at ultra-low level, followed two hours later by a second pair. The exercise was repeated by another pair on 13 September.

The original tasking envisaged targeting being provided by a Forward Air Controller (FAC) in the Hadath flats, but it soon became clear that the potential targets were more likely to be artillery pieces firing from some distance outside the city. The tactics changed to self-designation using Pave Spike from medium level, using a 40º dive profile. After practising the unfamiliar delivery profile at Episkopi range, a pair of LGB-armed Buccaneers was kept at 30min readiness throughout daylight hours; crews were stood down at dusk since Pave Spike had no night-time capability. There were regular exercise launches to train crews and the tasking organization to ensure that the aircraft could support Britforleb swiftly if required. A Phantom squadron which was holding its Armament Practice Camp (APC) at RAF Akrotiri was also co-opted into Operation Pulsator to provide air defence cover for the Buccaneers if necessary. Although neither the Buccaneers nor the Phantoms were required for further operational sorties, both Wessex and Chinook helicopters which had also been earmarked for the operation were used to evacuate wounded US and French servicemen after a bomb attack on their bases on 23 October. The operation ran down and the Buccaneer detachment returned to RAF Lossiemouth on 26 March 1984.

Two Blackburn (BAe) Buccaneer S2Bs of 208 Squadron get airborne from RAF Akrotiri for an Operation Pulsator sortie over Beirut, Lebanon. (Pitchfork)

Despite the withdrawal from world-wide defence commitments in the 1970s and 80s, the AT fleet was frequently called upon to secure Britain’s global influence and reputation by providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. In 1980 alone, RAF aircraft had provided assistance in Nicaragua, Dominica and Kampuchea at the request of the Red Cross and a VC10 aircraft from 10 Squadron, supported by three Hercules, had also evacuated 650 people from Tehran after the Iranian revolution.

The combination of civil war and drought led to a severe famine in Ethiopia in 1984. The first component of the international relief effort was two RAF Hercules, which were deployed to Addis Ababa on 4 November. In the first three months of Operation Bushel, the aircraft carried over 6,000 tons of supplies from Addis Ababa and the port of Assab into the remote famine-hit areas. Much of the affected region was in mountainous terrain with rough landing grounds at 7,000ft above sea level. Where landing was considered too hazardous, food supplies were dropped from a low flypast at 30ft. Throughout the following year, the RAF detachment continued to work closely with other relief teams, including those from the German, French and Soviet Air Forces. When the operation finished on 19 December 1985, the Hercules detachment had flown every day for 409 consecutive days and lifted over 30,000 tons of supplies.

After the earthquake in Mexico City on 19 September 1985, two Pumas were despatched from Belize to Mexico, where they were joined by a Hercules from RAF Lyneham to assist with relief operations. The helicopters had not long returned to Belize when they were ordered to Colombia to aid rescue efforts after a volcanic eruption destroyed the town of Armero on 13 November 1985. Once again, the Pumas were joined by a Hercules from RAF Lyneham.

Sacks of foodstuffs are loaded into a Puma HC1 for distribution to remote villages during humanitarian operations in Africa. (Crown Copyright)

The end of one era and the beginning of another: a Panavia Tornado GR1 of 9 Squadron refuels from a Vulcan tanker from 50 Squadron. The Vulcan was retired from RAF service in 1984.

A Phantom FGR2 of 23 Squadron at Stanley airstrip in the Falklands. The runway had to be extended with AM2 aluminium matting to allow Phantom operations, but even so the type needed to use the Rotary Hydraulic Arrestor Gear (RHAG) to stop after landing. The lowered arrestor hook is clearly visible. (Peter Butt/Wikimedia/Public Domain)

The most important operational detachments through the 1980s were undoubtedly those in the Falkland Islands and Belize. In early 1983, the Phantom detachment at Port Stanley changed its identity to 23 Squadron, while the Harrier detachment became 1453 Flight and they were joined by 1312 Flight equipped with two Hercules KC1 aircraft converted to be AAR tankers. In early March 1983, two Buccaneers from 12 Squadron deployed to Port Stanley to demonstrate the capability to operate maritime strike aircraft from the islands. After a ten-day stay, the Buccaneers returned to RAF Lossiemouth. During the year work was also started on building a larger, more suitable airfield at Mount Pleasant, some 25 miles southwest of Port Stanley. The new airfield at Mount Pleasant was formally opened on 12 May 1985. Two new flying detachments joined the force in the Falklands: 1310 Flight operating Chinooks for support of the army and 1564 Flight operating Sea Kings in the SAR role. In 1988, the Phantom detachment was re-named once again, becoming 1435 Flight, while the Chinook and Sea King flights had already been amalgamated into 78 Squadron. RAF Mount Pleasant was served by a twice-weekly Hercules resupply flight, which routed via Ascension Island and required AAR to complete the final leg to the Falklands. This scheduled service was taken over by the Lockheed TriStars of 216 Squadron, which could reach the Falklands from Ascension Island without refuelling, from March 1989. Other occasional visitors to Mount Pleasant included Nimrod aircraft. The detachments of 1417 Flight Harriers and 1563 Flight Pumas continued throughout the decade, successfully deterring any Guatemalan designs on the British protecterate. Belize City, like Mount Pleasant, was defended by detachments of RAF Regiment Rapier squadrons.

A Phantom FGR2 of 23 Squadron and a Hercules of 1312 Flight at low level over the Falkland Islands. (Lewis)

The Falklands conflict had broken out in the last days of the Vulcan’s service life. The Scampton Wing had already disbanded in early 1982 and the Waddington Wing was also winding down. Soon after the Falklands campaign, 44 and 101 Squadrons disbanded at RAF Waddington, leaving only 50 Squadron, which, with its aircraft converted to Vulcan K2 standard, had converted to the AAR tanker role. These aircraft were finally retired in 1984, leaving the Victor K2 tankers of 55 and 57 Squadrons as the last vestiges of the V-Force. In its heyday with 18 squadrons in the early 1960s, the V-Force had held the frontline of Britain’s nuclear deterrent; 20 years later it had carried out the world’s longest bombing missions and in its final form, as just two AAR tanker squadrons, it continued to play a vital role in the operational effectiveness of the RAF. The AAR force was also augmented after the Falklands war by the acquisition of TriStar KC1s, operated by 216 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton, and the conversion of VC10 transports operated by 10 and 101 Squadron to the tanker role.

The Panavia Tornado GR1, which entered service with 9 Squadron at RAF Honington in 1982, gave the RAF, for the first time, a true night/all-weather strike/attack capability. The heart of the aircraft was a Terrain Following Radar (TFR) system that enabled crews to fly the type at low level at night or in adverse weather. (Richard Cooke)

Although the Vulcans were being retired, they were being replaced by the Panavia Tornado GR1 which brought with it a formidable day and night all-weather strike/attack capability. The first Tornado squadron, 9 Squadron, was formed on 1 May 1982, followed the following year by 617 and 27 Squadrons. In October 1984, four Tornados from 617 Squadron took part in the USAF Strategic Air Command (SAC) Bombing Competition. The RAF had participated in this annual competition since 1951, when the competing crews had flown Boeing B-29s. The most successful year to date had been 1974 when Vulcan crews from 230 OCU, 44 and 101 Squadrons had won the Matthis Trophy and the Navigation Trophy. In 1984, the 617 Squadron Tornado team triumphed again, taking the first two places in the Curtis LeMay Bombing Trophy and also winning the John C. Meyer Trophy. The following year both trophies were won again by a team from 27 Squadron.

Members of the elite reconnaissance troop of 45 Commando (RM) jump from a Hercules over Barduffos, Norway. (Richard Cooke)

The introduction of the Tornado GR1 into service continued over the next few years: by early 1990 there were wings of four squadrons each at RAF Brüggen (9, 14, 17 and 31 Squadrons) and RAF Laarbruch (2, 15, 16 and 20 Squadrons). A further three units were based in the UK: 13 Squadron at RAF Honington and 27 with 617 Squadrons at RAF Marham. In Germany, the Tornado took over the RAF’s tactical nuclear strike capability from the Buccaneer and Jaguar with the WE177 weapon. Nuclear-armed aircraft were maintained at both stations on 15min readiness QRA until late 1987 when a thawing of the Cold War led to the requirement being relaxed.

A Lightning F6 of 5 Squadron armed with two BAe Red Top infra-red seeking air-to-air-missiles (AAM). The last units equipped with this British-built fighter were 5 and 11 Squadrons based at RAF Binbrook. In 1988, both were re-equipped with the Panavia Tornado F3. (Crown Copyright)

Another version of the Tornado, the Tornado F3, began to replace the Lightning and Phantom in the air defence role in the late 1980s. The first units, 29 and 5 Squadrons were based at RAF Coningsby, with wings established later at RAF Leeming (11, 23 and 25 Squadrons) and RAF Leuchars (43 and 111 squadrons). Phantoms remained in service with 19 and 92 Squadrons at Wildenrath and 56 and 74 Squadrons at RAF Wattisham.

In 1989 the façade of Communist rule in Central Europe was cracking. Democratic elections were held in Poland and more were promised in Hungary – and there was a steady stream of people leaving East Germany for the West. On 9 November, the crossing points of the Berlin Wall were opened, signalling the end of the Cold War. Over the previous three decades it was the Cold War that structured the RAF and the late 1980s had been a relatively stable and predictable period for the RAF’s frontline. The service ended the decade well able to face the challenges in the new world order that would be established in the next decade: potent new aircraft, the exercise regimes of Taceval and Exercise Red Flag, and the recent combat experiences in distant theatres all combined to mould a particularly effective fighting service. The only question that remained was what form would the new world order take?

An AIM-9 Sidewinder AAM is fired from a Panavia Tornado F3 during a training sortie. Like the Phantom which it replaced, the Tornado F3 was armed with four Sidewinder and four Skyflash missiles. By 1989, six front-line air-defence squadrons had been equipped with the type. (Crown Copyright)