The Buccaneers - Graham Pitchfork

Designed at the height of the Cold War as a carrier-borne nuclear strike aircraft for the Royal Navy, the first Blackburn Buccaneer entered service in 1963. The 620mph all-British design saw active service with the Fleet Air Arm around Singapore during the Indonesian confrontation, in the withdrawal from Aden and in Belize. It was not until 1978 that the FAA's last Buccaneers were eventually retired. In 1968 the RAF chose the Buccaneer as its new low-level strike aircraft. The first of the RAF's Buccaneers were delivered in 1969 with the initial squadron operating from the UK in the maritime strike role. In RAF service, Buccaneer squadrons also flew low-level tactical strike operations, mostly in Germany. The 1991 Gulf War was the aircraft's swan song when it flew target designator sorties for other Coalition aircraft. The last military Buccaneer flights took place in 1995. A total of 206 Buccaneers were built and the aircraft gave over 30 years of reliable service. At its high point in 1978, five RAF and FAA operational squadrons flew the type. Although the aircraft was designed for the Royal Navy it was with the RAF that it saw its longest service, from 1969 to 1995.