The Insanely Low Ultra Fast Nuclear Strike Aircraft

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In January 1991, as the world’s eyes fixated on the Middle East, six old but tough low-level nuclear bombers were dispatched in haste. The Blackburn Buccaneers, almost considered relics, were built at the height of the Cold War and were not expected to see combat in the region.

Despite initial reluctance to involve the Buccaneer in the Gulf War, plans changed rapidly, and the units were given 72 hours to prepare for deployment. Following three days of frantic last-minute preparations, the Buccaneers, freshly painted in desert camouflage, flew to the frontline.

The aging S2Bs Buccaneers had received a thorough makeover with deadly new laser technology. They would now be hunting in packs with Panavia Tornados and unleashing a brand new type of war…

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21 thoughts on “The Insanely Low Ultra Fast Nuclear Strike Aircraft”

  2. NA39 required a total bombload of 8000lb, not 4000; the 4000lb was for just internal stores. The 400nm unrefuelled range was also just at low-level; the aircraft had to be able to do 800 nm at high altitude. And rather than just being a tanker, the requirement asked for an aircraft that could both donate and receive fuel. I also love the clip of the officers assessing the NA39 bids while aboard a submarine.
    What you mean to say is that the small wings would have required a high landing speed if it hadn't had the blown surfaces to compensate. The small wing was necessary to provide stability at high speed in a turbulent low-level environment.
    The aircraft shown at 5:16 to illustrate the double pylons is a Supermarine Scimitar, not a Bucc.
    'The 800-first Sqn' is another horrible americanism. In the RN it is known as 'Eight-Oh-One Sqn' or formally 'Number Eight-Oh-One Sqn'.
    The S1s with the original engines could take off from carriers. The Spey engines with 40% more power allowed take-off with max fuel and a full load-out.
    The bridge being (repeatedly) dropped does not appear to relate to the narrative on nukes; otherwise the camera would not have survived. And the aircraft shown flying past at low level (was this from some movie or other) is a Hawker Hunter, not a Bucc.
    The South African aircraft still had folding wings and the BS605 engines weren't rocket assisted; they were bolt on rocket motors.
    It would have been worth clarifying for the US audience that the 'FAA clearance' required to cross the Atlantic came from the Fleet Air Arm, who owned the jets. The US Federal Aviation Authority were not involved.
    The Buccaneers in the Gulf were not 'guided by the Tornados' laser-guided ordnance'. That is utterly meaningless. The 2 AN12s were destroyed by Buccs using their own Pave Spike pods; there was no 'dive bombing' on that occasion.
    There seems to be a problem with the timeline in the script, possibly due to the layout of the source wikipedia entry, but the Buccs had all transferred to the RAF long before Gulf War 1. I think the last of the old full size carriers was retired more than 10 years previously.
    The last sqn of Buccs shown at 12:29 are F-4s.
    The biggest issue I have with is though is the title. The Bucc was not 'ultra fast' by any stretch of the imagination; it was firmly subsonic. And then you don't mention anything about how 'insanely low' they could fly. The examples of 480kts at 50 feet in RED FLAG and in the Gulf War need telling, and in Beruit they were flying at 50 feet and less down the city streets, being fired on sometimes from above! Sometimes it's good to quit the wiki page and get some wider gen.

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  3. Many venerable platforms were used in the first gulf war. I recall seeing a number of F4 Phantoms parked on Lakenheath air base at the time pending possible demand for designator platforms.

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  11. pre Falklands 2 of these passed 30ft over my Father and I's head on a local golf course going full chat as the Western Isles were a realistic training environment for the Falklands- pretty impressive

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  13. The Buccaneer was one of the most underrated aircraft in the history of aviation, its high-speed, low-level capabilities unmatched for decades. No wonder it was sent to the desert.

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  20. "… retired… (12:28 – 12:32)… a single squadron still operating… " er, F-4 Phantoms. Classic 'Dark Skies' error, next my canoe will be the stand in for a carrier, so is the 'watch' actually a floor mounted grandfather clock, perhaps? : ))))))

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