Flying the Buccaneer by Peter Caygill

Author:Peter Caygill [Caygill, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Aviation
ISBN: 9781844156696
Google: YH6h8ND6t8EC
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Published: 2008-01-01T03:19:11+00:00

The approach to the target was characterised by uncertainties as to the position of the primary target which then needed to be positively identified. During exercises the attack direction had often been given to the Buccaneer force by airborne early warning (AEW) Shackletons. This had proved to be a highly successful method of target designation as accurate information was continually available on the position of the target relative to the attack formation. In wartime, however, the use of the very small AEW Shackleton force in this role, at the expense of its primary air defence task, appeared doubtful. Furthermore, the procedure relied on freedom from voice or radar jamming. An alternative was the use of a Canberra as a visual probe but it was felt that the information obtained would not be accurate enough for the attacking Buccaneers. This left the possibility of using a ‘probe’ Buccaneer to penetrate the target area until radar burn-through was achieved or visual contact was made with the actual target. Although a bearing could well be obtained, the actual range of the attacking force from the target was another matter and depending on the level of electronic jamming, co-ordinated mixed mode attacks occasionally had to be abandoned.

The final approach to the target needed to be made at a height of 200 ft or less so that the Buccaneers remained beneath the minimum effective height of Soviet SA-N-1 Goa and SA-N-3 Goblet missile systems. Speed was no real protection against the short range defences (SA-N-4 and AAA) and tended to work against the attacking force in several respects. The cockpit workload, which was already high, was increased still further and flying at higher speeds also increased fuel consumption. In addition, the amount of black smoke being emitted from the exhausts was also increased, which could give away the Buccaneer’s position, and cockpit noise levels were higher. Until acceleration was essential for a particular attack mode, it was recommended that the low-level penetration speed be limited to 420 kts IAS which was also the aircraft’s best turning speed. This meant that the Buccaneer could carry out effective evasion should the passive warning radar indicate that it had been illuminated by the FCR of a ship other than the intended target.

In an attempt to achieve surprise it was normal practice to maintain RT silence, to use elaborate descent profiles and to employ a weave approach at low level, whilst delaying the switch-on of the radar until 25 nm from the estimated position of the target. Despite all these techniques it was the conclusion of CTTO that they were unlikely to succeed against the sophisticated Soviet electronic equipment available to both the target and to any outlying picket ships. Indeed the target may have already been alerted by the activities of AEW Shackletons or visual probe aircraft. The key to a successful attack was an accurate approach with all the defensive aids operational to minimise the effects of electronic jamming. To this end, the Blue Parrot radar had

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