| Buccaneer | |
|---|---|
 A Buccaneer taking off fromFaro, Portugal | |
| General information | |
| Type | Maritimestrike aircraft |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | |
| Primary users | Royal Navy |
| Number built | 211 (including 2 prototypes)[1] |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 17 July 1962 (1962-07-17) |
| First flight | 30 April 1958 (1958-04-30) |
| Retired | 31 March 1994 (1994-03-31) |
TheBlackburn Buccaneer is a Britishcarrier-capableattack aircraft designed in the 1950s for theRoyal Navy (RN). Designed and initially produced byBlackburn Aircraft atBrough, it was later officially known as theHawker Siddeley Buccaneer when Blackburn became a part of theHawker Siddeley Group, but this name is rarely used.
The Buccaneer was originally designed in response to theSoviet Union introducing theSverdlov class oflight cruisers. Instead of building a new class of its own cruisers, the Royal Navy decided that it could address the threat posed via low-level attack runs performed by Buccaneers, low enough to exploit the ship'sradar horizon to minimise the opportunity for being fired upon. The Buccaneer could attack usingnuclear weapons or conventional munitions. During its service life, it would be modified to carryanti-ship missiles, allowing it to attack vessels from a stand-off distance and thus improve its survivability against modern ship-based anti-aircraft weapons.[2] The Buccaneer performed itsmaiden flight in April 1958 and entered Royal Navy service during July 1962.
Initial production aircraft suffered a series of accidents, largely due to insufficient engine power; this defect was quickly addressed by the introduction of the Buccaneer S.2, equipped with more powerfulRolls-Royce Spey jet engines, in 1965. The Buccaneer S.2 was the first Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircraft to make a non-stop, unrefuelled crossing of theAtlantic Ocean. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Royal Navy standardised the air wings operating from their carriers around the Buccaneer,Phantom, and theFairey Gannet. The Buccaneer was also offered as a possible solution for theRoyal Air Force (RAF) requirement for asupersonicinterdictor carrying nuclear weapons. It was rejected as not meeting the specification, in favour of the more advancedBAC TSR-2 bomber, but this aircraft was cancelled largely due to its high cost. Its selected replacement, theGeneral Dynamics F-111K, was also cancelled. The Buccaneer was purchased as a TSR-2 substitute and entered RAF service during October 1969.
The Royal Navy retired the last of its large aircraft carriers in February 1979; as a result, the Buccaneer's strike role was transferred to theBritish Aerospace Sea Harrier and the Buccaneers were transferred to the RAF. After a crash in 1980 revealedmetal fatigue problems, the RAF's fleet was reduced to 60 aircraft while the rest were withdrawn. The ending of theCold War in the 1990s led to military cutbacks that accelerated the retirement of Britain's remaining Buccaneers. The last of the RAF's Buccaneers were retired in March 1994 in favour of the more modernPanavia Tornado. TheSouth African Air Force (SAAF) was the only export customer for the type. Buccaneers saw combat action in the firstGulf War of 1991, and the lengthySouth African Border War.
The plane was affectionately known with nickname "Banana Jet" by its aviators and crews.[3]
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After theSecond World War, theRoyal Navy responded to the rapid expansion of theSoviet Navy. Chief amongst Soviet naval developments in the early 1950s was theSverdlov-class cruiser; these vessels were classified aslight cruisers, being fast, effectively armed, and numerous. Like the German "pocket battleships" during the Second World War, these new Soviet cruisers presented a serious threat to the merchant fleets in the Atlantic.[4] The Royal Navy decided not to use a new ship class but instead introduce a specialised strike aircraft employing conventional or nuclear weapons. Operating from the Navy'sfleet carriers, and attacking at high speed and low level, it would offer a solution to theSverdlov problem.[5]
A detailed specification was issued in June 1952 asNaval Staff RequirementNA.39, calling for a two-seat aircraft with folding wings, capable of flying at 550 knots (1,020 km/h; 630 mph) atsea level, with acombat radius of 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) at low altitude, and 800 nautical miles (1,500 km; 920 mi) at higher cruising altitudes. A weapons load of 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) was required, including conventional bombs, theRed Beard free-fall nuclear bomb, or theGreen Cheese anti-ship missile.[6] TheMinistry of Supply issued specificationM.148T in August 1952, and the first responses were returned in February 1953. Blackburn's design byBarry Laight,Project B-103, won the tender in July 1955.[7] For reasons of secrecy, the aircraft was calledBNA (Blackburn Naval Aircraft) orBANA (Blackburn Advanced Naval Aircraft) in documents, leading to the nickname of "Banana Jet". The first prototype made itsmaiden flight fromRAE Bedford on 30 April 1958.[8][9]
The first productionBuccaneer S.1, entered squadron service with theFleet Air Arm (FAA) in January 1963.[10] It was powered by a pair ofde Havilland Gyron Junior turbojets, producing 7,100pounds-force (32,000 N) of thrust.[11] This mark was underpowered and could nottake off if fully laden with fuel and armament. A temporary solution to this problem was the "buddy system": aircraft took off with a full load of weaponry and minimal fuel, and would rendezvous with aScimitar that would deliver the full load of fuel byaerial refuelling.[12][13] The lack of power meant that the loss of an engine during take-off, or landing at full load, when the aircraft was dependent onflap blowing, could be catastrophic.[14]
The long-term solution to the underpowered S.1 was the development of theBuccaneer S.2, fitted with theRolls-Royce Spey engine, which provided 40 per cent more thrust. Theturbofan Spey also had significantly lower fuel consumption than the pure-jet Gyron, which provided improved range. The enginenacelles had to be enlarged to accommodate the Spey and the wing required minor aerodynamic modifications.[15] Hawker Siddeley announced the production order for the S.2 in January 1962.[16] All Royal Navy squadrons had converted to the improved S.2 by the end of 1966.[17]736 Naval Air Squadron also used eight S.1 aircraft taken from storage to meet an extra training demand for RAF crews until December 1970.[18]
In October 1962, 16 aircraft were ordered by theSouth African Air Force (SAAF), as theBuccaneer S.50.[19] These were S.2 aircraft with the addition ofBristol Siddeley BS.605 rocket engines to provide additional thrust for the "hot and high" African airfields. The S.50 was also equipped with strengthenedundercarriage, and higher capacity wheel brakes, and had manually folded wings. They were equipped to use theAS-30command guided air-to-surface missiles. Due to the need to patrol the vast coastline, they also specified aerial refueling, and larger 430-US-gallon (1,600 L; 360 imp gal) underwing tanks.[20] Once in service, the extra thrust of the BS.605 rocket engines proved to be unnecessary, and they were eventually removed from all aircraft.[21] South Africa later sought to procure more Buccaneers, but the British government blocked orders, because of avoluntary arms embargo on that country.[22]
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Blackburn's first attempt to sell the Buccaneer to theRoyal Air Force (RAF) occurred in 1957–1958, in response to theAir MinistryOperational Requirement OR.339, for a replacement for the RAF'sEnglish Electric Canberra light bombers, with supersonic speed, and a 1,000-nautical-mile (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) combat radius; asking for an all-weather aircraft that could delivernuclear weapons over a long range, operate at high level at Mach 2+ or low level at Mach 1.2, withSTOL performance.[23] Blackburn proposed two designs, the B.103A, a simple modification of the Buccaneer S.1 with more fuel, and the B.108, a more extensively modified aircraft with more sophisticated avionics. Against a background of inter-service distrust, political issues, and the1957 Defence White Paper, both types were rejected by the RAF; as being firmly subsonic, and incapable of meeting the RAF's range requirements; while the B.108, which retained Gyron Junior engines while being 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) heavier than the S.1, would have been severely underpowered, giving poor short-take off performance. TheBAC TSR-2 was eventually selected in 1959.[24][25]
After the cancellation of the TSR-2, and then the substitute AmericanGeneral Dynamics F-111K, the Royal Air Force still required a replacement for its Canberras for low-level strike, while the planned retirement for the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers meant that the RAF would also need to add a maritime strike capability. It was decided in 1968 that the RAF would adopt the Buccaneer by the purchase of new aircraft and by taking over the Fleet Air Arm's Buccaneers as the carriers were retired.[26][27][28] A total of 46 new-build aircraft for the RAF were built by Blackburn's successor, Hawker Siddeley, designatedS.2B. These had RAF-type communications and avionics equipment,Martelair-to-surface missile capability and could be equipped with a bulged bomb-bay door containing an extra fuel tank.[29]
Some Fleet Air Arm Buccaneers were modified to carry the Martel anti-ship missile. Martel-capable FAA aircraft were later renamedS.2D. The remaining aircraft becameS.2C. RAF aircraft were given various improvements. Self-defence was improved by the addition of the AN/ALQ-101electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod (also found on RAF'sSEPECAT Jaguar GR.3),chaff,flare dispensers andAIM-9 Sidewinder capability. RAF low-level strike Buccaneers could carry out what was known as 'retard defence'; four 1,000-pound (450 kg)retarded bombs carried internally could be dropped to provide a deterrent against any following aircraft. In 1979, the RAF obtained the AmericanAN/AVQ-23E Pave Spikelaser designator pod forPaveway II laser-guided bombs; allowing the aircraft to act as target designators for Buccaneers, Jaguars and other strike aircraft.[29] From 1986,No. 208 Squadron RAF, then No. 12 (B) Squadron, replaced the Martel ASM with theSea Eagle missile.[30]
Further developments beyond the Buccaneer S.2 were put forward by Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s and 1970s but none were pursued through to production by the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force. TheBuccaneer 2* was presented as a cost-effective alternative to the TSR-2. The 2* would have featured newer equipment; such ashead-up displays and onboard computers from the cancelledHawker Siddeley P.1154VTOL aircraft, it would have also adopted the same radar system as that being developed for the TSR-2. An even more extensively upgraded model, theBuccaneer 2** was also mooted, which would have been furnished with more sophisticated land-strike capabilities from the TSR-2. According toDenis Healey,defence minister 1964–1970, the RAF had been hostile to the Buccaneer due to it being a naval aircraft; it has been further suggested that developing improved Buccaneers for the RAF would weaken arguments against the Royal Navy's plannedCVA-01-class aircraft carriers.[31] In one report by theMinistry of Defence (MoD), it was claimed that two Buccaneer 2* could do the job of one General Dynamics F-111, for less than half the unit cost.[32]
The Buccaneer was a mid-wing, twin-engine aircraft. It had a crew of two in a tandem-seat arrangement with the observer seated higher and offset from the pilot to give a clear view forwards to enable them to assist in visual search. Its operational profile included cruising at altitude (for reduced fuel consumption) before descending, just outside the anticipated enemy radar detection range, to 100 feet (30 m) for a 500-knot (930 km/h; 580 mph)[33] dash to and from the target. Targets might be ships-at-sea or large shore-based installations at long range from the launching aircraft-carrier.[34] To illustrate, in May 1966, an S.2 launched fromHMS Victorious in the Irish Sea, performed a low-level simulated nuclear weapon toss on the airfield at Gibraltar and returned to the ship, a 2,300-mile (3,700 km) trip[33] The aircraft had an all-weather operational capability provided by the pilot's head-up display and Airstream Direction Detector, for example, and the observer's navigation systems and fire control radar.[35] The Buccaneer was one of the largest aircraft to operate from British aircraft carriers, and continued operating from them until the last conventional carrier was withdrawn in February 1979.[36] During its service, the Buccaneer was the backbone of the Navy's ground strike operations, including nuclear strike.[36]
The majority of the rear fuselage's internal area was used to house electronics, such as elements of the radio, equipment supporting the aircraft's radar functionality, and the crew's liquidoxygen life support system; the whole compartment was actively cooled byram air drawn from the tailfin.[37] For redundancy, the Buccaneer featured dualbusbars for electrical systems, and three independenthydraulic systems.[38] The aircraft was made easier to control and land via an integrated flight control computer that performed auto-stabilisation andauto pilot functions.[39]
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The Buccaneer had been designed specifically as a maritime nuclear strike aircraft. Its intended weapon was a nuclear air-to-surface missile codenamed Green Cheese but this weapon's development was cancelled, and in its place was the unguided 2,000-pound (900 kg) Red Beard, which had been developed for the English Electric Canberra. Red Beard had an explosive yield in the 10 to 20kiloton range; and was mounted on a special bomb bay door, into which it nested neatly to reduce aerodynamic buffet on the launch aircraft. At low levels and high speeds, traditionalbomb bay doors could not be opened safely into the air stream; therefore, Blackburn developed a revolving bomb bay which turned about the long axis of the aircraft, exposing the weapon load mounted on what was effectively the inside of the single bomb bay door and allowing it to be released quickly without creating a massive increase in drag; this feature also proved convenient in providing ground-level access and unintentionally improved the aircraft's stealth capability by not generating a large increase in the radar cross section.[40][41]
The bomb bay could also accommodate a 2,000-litre (440 imp gal; 530 US gal) ferry tank, a photo-reconnaissance 'crate', or a cargo container. The reconnaissance package featured an assortment of six cameras, each at different angles or having different imaging properties, and was only mounted on missions specifically involving reconnaissance activities.[42] The Buccaneer also featured four underwinghard points capable of mounting 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs, missiles, fuel tanks, or other equipment such as flares;[36] later developments saw the adoption of wing-mountedelectronic warfare and laser designator pods.[17] A similar underwing configuration was latterly adopted by the SAAF.[43] Upon its entry into service, the Buccaneer was capable of carrying practically all munitions then in use by Royal Navy aircraft.[44] It was intended for a pack with twin 30 mm (1.2 in)ADEN cannons to be developed for the Buccaneer, but the effort was abandoned and the type was never equipped with a gun.[45]
Early on in the Buccaneer's career, conventionalanti-ship missions would have employed a mix of unguided bombs and rockets at close range. This tactic became increasingly impractical in the face of Sovietanti-aircraft missile advances; thus, later Buccaneers were adapted to make use of several missiles capable of striking enemy ships from a distance. The Anglo-French Martel missile was introduced upon the Buccaneer, but the weapon was said to have been "very temperamental", and its deployment required an attacking Buccaneer to increase its altitude and thus its vulnerability to being attacked itself.[29] An extensive upgrade programme undertaken in the 1980s added compatibility with several new pieces of equipment; including theSea Eagle missile, a self-guiding 'fire-and-forget' missile capable of striking targets at an effective range of 60 miles (100 km), five times that of the Martel AJ 168 anti-ship missile, while also being significantly more powerful.[46]
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In order to dramatically improve aerodynamic performance at slow speeds, such as during takeoff and landing, Blackburn adopted a new aerodynamic control technology, known asboundary layer control (BLC). BLC bled high-pressure air directly from theengines, which was "blown" against various parts of the aircraft'swing surfaces andhorizontal stabiliser. A full-span slit along the part of the wing's trailing edge was found to give almost 50% more lift than any contemporary scheme.[47] In order to counteract the severe pitch movements that would otherwise be generated by use of BLC, a self-trimming system was interconnected with the BLC system, and additional blowing of the wing's leading edge was also introduced. The use of BLC allowed the use ofslats to be entirely discarded in the design.[47]
Before landing, the pilot would open the BLC vents as well as lower theflaps to achieve slow, stable flight. A consequence of the blown wing was that the engines were required to run at high power for low-speed flight in order to generate sufficient compressor gas for blowing. Blackburn's solution to this situation was the adoption of a large air brake; this addition also allowed an overshooting aircraft to pull away more quickly during a failed landing attempt.[48] The nose cone and radar antenna could also be swung around by 180 degrees to reduce the length of the aircraft in the carrier hangar. This feature was particularly important due to the small size of the aircraft carriers from which the Buccaneer typically operated.[49]
For a carrier take-off, the Buccaneer was pulled tail-down on the catapult, with its nosewheel in the air to put the wing at about 11°. It could be launched "hands-off": thepilot able to leave the tailplane in a neutral position.[50] With blowing on, the Spey 101 output drops to around 9,100 pounds-force (40,000 N), though about 600 pounds-force (2,700 N) is recovered from the trailing edge slits which face aft. About 70% of the blown air goes over the flaps and ailerons, which are in a drooped position.[51] Off an aircraft carrier, the minimum launch speed was around 120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph) at 43,000 pounds (20,000 kg); from anairfield, the Buccaneer took off in 3,000 feet (900 m) at 144 knots (267 km/h; 166 mph) with blown air. The figures become 3,700 feet (1,100 m) at 175 knots (325 km/h; 200 mph) without blown air.[52]
Thefuselage of the Buccaneer was designed using thearea rule technique, which had the effect of reducingaerodynamic drag while travelling attransonic speeds,[53] and gave rise to the characteristic curvy "Coke bottle" shape of the fuselage. The majority of the airframe and fuselage was machined from solid castings to give the required strength to endure the stress of low-level operations. Considerable effort went into ensuring thatmetal fatigue would not be a limiting factor of the Buccaneer's operational life, even under the formidable conditions imposed by low level flight.[53] However, design changes for the Mark 2 Buccaneer, the addition of extended wingtips and the position of a new bolt hole, did cause fatigue problems leading to the loss of two aircraft.[54]
A largeair brake formed the tail-cone of the aircraft. The hydraulically operated air brake formed two leaves that could be opened into the airstream to quickly decelerate the aircraft.[55] The style of air brake chosen by Blackburn was highly effective in the dive-attack profile that the Buccaneer was intended to perform, as well as effectively balancing out induced drag from operating the BLC system.[53] It featured avariable incidencetailplane that could be trimmed to suit the particular requirements of low-speed handling, or high-speed flight;[41] the tailplane had to be high mounted due to the positioning and functionality of the Buccaneer's air brake.[53]
The wing design of the Buccaneer was a compromise between two requirements: a low-aspect ratio for good gust response, and high-aspect ratio to give good range performance.[56] The small wing was suited to high-speed flight at low altitude; however, a small wing did not generate sufficientlift that was essential for carrier operations. Therefore, BLC was used upon both the wing and tailplane, having the effect of energising and smoothing theboundary layer airflow, which significantly reduced airflow separation at the back of the wing, and therefore decreased stall speed, and increased effectiveness oftrailing edge control surfaces, including flaps andailerons.[57] To extend the Buccaneer's operating life during the 1980s, it was deemed necessary to replace the original newspar rings on those aircraft that were retained.[58]
The Buccaneer entered service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) on 17 July 1962, when801 NAS was commissioned atRNAS Lossiemouth in Scotland.[59] The Buccaneer quickly replaced the FAA's Supermarine Scimitar, which had previously been performing the naval attack role.[60] In addition to conventional ordnance, the Buccaneer was cleared for nuclear weapons delivery in 1965; weapons deployed included Red Beard andWE.177 free-fall bombs, which were carried internally on a rotating bomb-bay door. Two FAA operational squadrons, and a training unit were equipped with the Buccaneer S.1. The aircraft was well liked by Navy aircrew for its strength and flying qualities, and the BLC system gave them slower landing speeds than they were accustomed to. The Buccaneers were painted dark sea grey on top, andanti-flash white on the undersides.[61]
Deficiences in the Buccaneer S.1's Gyron Junior engines led to the type's career coming to an abrupt end in December 1970.[14] On 1 December, an S.1 attempted to overshoot from a misjudged landing approach but one engine surged and produced no thrust, forcing the two crewmen to eject. On 8 December, an S.1 on a training flight suffered a massive uncontained engine failure. The pilot successfully ejected, but due to a mechanical failure in his ejection seat the navigator was killed. Subsequent inspections concluded that the Gyron Junior engine was no longer safe to fly. All remaining S.1s were grounded immediately and permanently.[62]
By April 1965, intensive trials of the new Buccaneer S.2 had begun, with the type entering operational service with the FAA later that year. The improved S.2 type proved its value when it became the first FAA aircraft to make a non-stop, unrefuelled crossing of theAtlantic Ocean.[63] On 28 March 1967, Buccaneers from RNAS Lossiemouth bombed the shipwreckedsupertankerTorrey Canyon off the western coast ofCornwall to make the oil burn in an attempt to avoid anenvironmental disaster. In 1972, Buccaneers of809 Naval Air Squadron operating fromArk Royal took part in a 1,500-mile (2,400 km) mission to show a military presence overBritish Honduras (nowBelize) shortly before its independence, to deter a possibleGuatemalan invasion in pursuit ofits territorial claims over the country.[64]
The Buccaneer also participated in regular patrols and exercises in theNorth Sea, practising the type's role if war had broken out with the Soviet Union. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Royal Navy standardised the air wings operating from their carriers around thePhantom, Buccaneer, and theFairey Gannet aircraft.[65] A total of six FAA squadrons were equipped with the Buccaneer:700B/700Z (intensive flying trials unit), 736 (training),800, 801,803 and 809 Naval Air Squadrons. Buccaneers were embarked on HMSVictorious,Eagle, HMSArk Royal, andHermes.[66]
The Buccaneer was retired from FAA service with the decommissioning in February 1979 of theArk Royal, the last of the navy's fleet carriers.[65] Their retirement was part of a larger foreign policy agenda that was implemented throughout the 1970s. Measures such as the withdrawal of most British military forces stationedEast of Suez were viewed as reducing the need for aircraft carriers, and fixed-wing naval aviation in general. The decision was highly controversial, particularly to those within the FAA.[67] The Royal Navy would replace the naval strike capability of the Buccaneer with the smallerV/STOL-capableBritish Aerospace Sea Harrier, which were operated from theirInvincible-class aircraft carriers.[68]
After the General Dynamics F-111K was cancelled in early 1968, due to the programme suffering serious cost escalation and delays, the RAF was forced to look for a replacement that was available and affordable, and reluctantly selected the Buccaneer.[69] The first RAF unit to receive the Buccaneer was12 Squadron atRAF Honington in October 1969, in the maritime strike role, at first equipped with ex-Royal Navy Buccaneer S.2As.[70] This was to remain a key station for the type, as15 Squadron equipped with the Buccaneer the following year, before moving toRAF Laarbruch in 1971, and the RAF Buccaneer conversion unit,No. 237 Operational Conversion Unit RAF, forming at Honington in March 1971.[70][71] The Buccaneer was seen as an interim solution, but delays in thePanavia Tornado programme would ensure that the 'interim' period would stretch out, and the Buccaneer would remain in RAF service for over two decades, long after the FAA had given up the type.[69]
With the phased withdrawal of the Royal Navy's carrier fleet during the 1970s, the Fleet Air Arm's Buccaneers were transferred to the RAF, which had taken over the maritime strike role.[72] 62 of the 84 S.2 aircraft were eventually transferred, redesignatedS.2A;[69] some of these were later upgraded to S.2B standard. Ex-FAA aircraft equipped16 Squadron, joining 15 Squadron at RAF Laarbruch, and 208 Squadron at Honington; the last ex-FAA aircraft went to216 Squadron shortly before its disbandment.[70]
From 1970, with 12 Squadron initially, followed by 15 Squadron, 16 Squadron, No. 237 OCU, 208 Squadron, and 216 Squadron, the RAF Buccaneer force re-equipped with WE.177 nuclear weapons. At peak strength, Buccaneers equipped six RAF squadrons, although for only a year. A more sustained strength of five squadrons was made up of three squadrons (15 Squadron, 16 Squadron, 208 Squadron), plus No. 237 OCU (a war reserve orShadow squadron), all assigned toSupreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) for land strike duties in support of land forces opposingWarsaw Pact forces in continental Europe, plus one squadron (12 Squadron) assigned toSupreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) for maritime strike duties.
Opportunities for Buccaneer squadrons to engage in realistic training were limited, and so when the US began itsRed Flag military exercises atNellis Air Force Base in 1975, the RAF became keenly interested. The first Red Flag in which RAF aircraft were involved was in 1977, with 10 Buccaneers and twoAvro Vulcan bombers participating. Buccaneers would be involved in later Red Flags through to 1983, and in 1979, also participated in the similarMaple Flag exercise over Canada. The Buccaneer proved successful with its fast low-level attacks, which were highly accurate despite the lack ofterrain-following radar and other modern avionics.
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During the 1980 Red Flag exercises, one of the participating Buccaneers lost a wing mid-flight due to a fatigue-induced crack and crashed, killing its crew. The entire RAF Buccaneer fleet was grounded in February 1980; subsequent investigation discovered seriousmetal fatigue problems to be present on numerous aircraft.[73] A total of 60 aircraft were kept in service after fatigue cracks were detected and repaired albeit some had g-limitations, while others were scrapped; the nascent 216 Squadron was subsequently disbanded due to a resulting reduction in aircraft numbers.[58] Later the same year, the UK-based Buccaneer squadrons moved toRAF Lossiemouth in order to free space at Honington for the k Tornado.
In 1983, six Buccaneer S.2s were sent toCyprus to support British peacekeepers inLebanon as a part ofOperation Pulsator. On 11 September 1983, two of these aircraft flew low overBeirut, their presence intended to intimidate insurgents, rather than inflict damage directly.[58][74] After 1983, the land strike duties were mostly reassigned to the Tornado aircraft then entering service, and two Buccaneer squadrons remaining (12 Squadron, and 208 Squadron) were then assigned to SACLANT for maritime strike duties. Only the 'Shadow Squadron', No. 237 OCU, remained assigned to the role of land strike on long term assignment to SACEUR, No. 237 was also to operate as a designator for Jaguar ground strike aircraft in the event of conflict.[75] The Buccaneer stood down from its reserve nuclear delivery duties in 1991.
The Buccaneer took part in combat operations during the 1991Gulf War. It had been anticipated that Buccaneers might need to perform in the target designation role, although early on, this had been thought to be "unlikely".[75] Following a short-notice decision to deploy, the first batch of six aircraft were readied to deploy in under 72 hours, including the adoption of desert camouflage, and additional equipment, and departed from Lossiemouth for the Middle Eastern theatre early on 26 January 1991.[75] In theatre, it became common for each attack formation to comprise four Tornados and two Buccaneers; each Buccaneer carried a single laser designator pod, and acted as backup to the other in the event of an equipment malfunction.[75] The first combat mission took place on 2 February, operating at a mediumaltitude of roughly 18,000 feet (5,500 m), and successfully attacked the As Suwaira Road Bridge.[75]
Operations continued on practically every available day; missions did not take place at night as the laser pod lacked night-time functionality. Approximately 20 road bridges were destroyed by Buccaneer-supported missions, restricting theIraqi Army's mobility and communications.[75] In conjunction with the advance of Coalition ground forces intoIraq, the Buccaneers switched to airfield bombing missions, targeting bunkers, runways, and any aircraft sighted; following the guidance of the Tornado's laser-guided ordnance, the Buccaneers would commonly conduct dive-bombing runs upon remaining targets of opportunity in the vicinity.[75] In one incident on 27 February 1991, a pair of Buccaneers destroyed two Iraqi transport aircraft on the ground at Shayka Mazhar airfield.[75] The Buccaneers flew 218 missions during the Gulf War, in which they designated targets for other aircraft, and dropped 48laser-guided bombs.[76]
It had originally been planned for the Buccaneer to remain in service until the end of the 1990s, having been extensively modernized in a process lasting up to 1989; the end of theCold War stimulated major changes in British defence policy, many aircraft being deemed to be surplus to requirements. It was decided that a number of Tornado GR1s would be modified for compatibility with the Sea Eagle missile, and take over the RAF's maritime strike mission, and the Buccaneer would be retired early.[77] Squadrons operating the Buccaneer were quickly re-equipped with the Tornado; by mid-1993, 208 Squadron was the sole remaining operator of the type.[58] The last Buccaneers were withdrawn in March 1994, when 208 Squadron disbanded.[78]
South Africa was the only country other than the UK to operate the Buccaneer, where it was in service with the SAAF from 1965 to 1991. In January 1963, even before the S.2 entered squadron service, South Africa had purchased 16 Spey-powered Buccaneers. The order was part of theSimonstown Agreement, in which the UK obtained use of theSimonstown naval base in South Africa, in exchange for maritime weapons.[79] An order for a further 20 Buccaneers was blocked by British Prime MinisterHarold Wilson's government.[80]
In the maritime strike role, SAAF Buccaneers were armed with the French radio-guidedAS-30 missile. In March 1971, Buccaneers fired 12 AS-30s at a stricken tanker, theWafra, but failed to sink it. The AS-30 missile was also used in ground attacks for precision strikes, one example being in 1981, when missiles were used to strike a number of radar stations in southernAngola.[81] For overland attack, the SAAF Buccaneers carried up to four 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs in the rotary bomb bay, and four bombs, flares, orSNEB rocket packs on the underwing pylons. During the 1990s, it was revealed thatSouth Africa had manufactured six air dropped tactical nuclear weapons between 1978 and 1993. These nuclear weapons, containinghighly enriched uranium, with an estimated explosion yield of 10–18 kilotons, were designed for delivery by either the Buccaneer or the Canberra bomber.[82]
SAAF Buccaneers saw active service in the 1970s and 1980s during theSouth African Border War, frequently flying over Angola andNamibia, launching attacks uponSWAPO guerilla camps. During a ground offensive, Buccaneers would often flyclose air support (CAS) missions armed withanti-personnel rockets, as well as performing bombardment operations.[83] Buccaneers played a major role in theBattle of Cassinga in 1978, bombing armoured vehicles, including enemy tanks and to cover the withdrawal of South African and aligned ground forces from the combat zone.[84] The Buccaneer was capable of carrying heavy load over a long range, and could remain on station for longer than other aircraft, making it attractive for the CAS role.[80] On 3 January 1988, Buccaneers of the SADF destroyed the important bridge across theCuito River using a Raptorglide bomb, following on from a less successful attempt on 12 December 1987.[85] Only five aircraft remained operational by the time the Buccaneer was retired from service in 1991.[80]
Early in the Buccaneer programme, theUnited States Navy had expressed mild interest in the aircraft, but quickly moved on to the development of its comparableGrumman A-6 Intruder.[86] TheWest German Navy showed a greater interest,[87] and considered replacing itsHawker Sea Hawks with the type, although it eventually decided on theLockheed F-104G for its maritime strike requirement.[88]
At one point, three privately owned Buccaneers were being operated atThunder City.[102] After Thunder City closed all three aircraft were sold to Hangar 51 Aviation in late 2021. The Buccaneers were transported by road toGqeberha in December 2022 where Hangar 51 Aviation was intending to restore them.[103]
In the United Kingdom, Buccaneer S.2XX885 has been rebuilt to flying condition byHawker Hunter Aviation. It was grantedUK CAA permission to fly in April 2006.[104][105]
Five Buccaneers in the UK (XN923, XN974, XW544, XX894 and XX900) are in fast taxiing condition.[106][107]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Documentary on the Buccaneer | |
| RAF Buccaneer performing display flight in 1993 | |
| Footage of Buccaneer activities during US Red Flag exercise |
Data fromThe Observer's Book of Aircraft,[108]Aeroguide 30: Blackburn Buccaneer S Mks. 1 and 2[109]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Avionics
Blue Parrot ASV search/attack radar
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
This weapon system was used by Buccaneers in the South-African Air Force (SAAF) in the late 1980's in the final phases of the South-African involvement in the Angolan conflict: 2x H2 Raptor Glide Bombs, 1x Communications Pod, 1x ELT-555 ECM Pod
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
