RAF Buccaneers attack HMS Kent (1978)

Blackburn Buccaneers from No. 12 Squadron, RAF conduct maritime strike exercise against Royal Navy County-class destroyer HMS Kent (D12) in the Mediterranean as part of Operation Open Gate 1978.
12 Sqn was equipped with former Fleet Air Arm Buccaneer S.2A aircraft that were transferred in 1969 and based at RAF Honington in Suffolk. For Operation Open Gate, the Bucs were forward deployed to Gibraltar.

[@Leo-kc1gk]

Was on the Kent in '78 and vaguely remember these Bucc's flying around at zero feet and having to climb to clear the fo'castle! Happy days!!

[@Bellapussycat455]

Was serving onboard CARYSFORT (D25) when we were attacked by two Buccaneers - we didn't stand a chance...

[@cobbler40]

I remember these and lightning's attacking HMS Rhyl and watching the buccaneers bank between the masts and the lightnings climbing vertically over the bridge. So low they were undectable. Crazy pilots.

[@ourllamacalmerfarminfrance239]

I was in the Royal Marines Band on HMY Britannia in 1996 when Buccaneers attacked us. Really impressive flying.

[@dorsetdumpling5387]

Flying on the deck as if they were on rails.I love this plane.

[@souper5334]

I remember 12 Sqn Bucc's from RAF Lossiemouth in the 1980's....awesome aircraft..!

[@pcka12]

Slight upgrade on the Fairey Swordfish then, but same level of determination!

[@allybally0021]

Hardly an upgrade. The Swordfish had two wings...a bit faster...AND a machine gun at the back.

[@pcka12]

@@allybally0021 swordfish 4 wings? You know port & starboard twice?

[@allybally0021]

@@pcka12 I see what you mean.....The Red Baron had 6....and that was the fastest aircraft in history. We simply dont have the craftsmen now.

[@pcka12]

@@allybally0021 have to ask Muttley about that! Though Thomas Sopwith started it all.

[@allybally0021]

@@pcka12 Mutley? And Dastardly? They were tried and convicted for war crimes in the Hague. Awful business.

[@jameshammond2846]

Remember watching this all the time as a kid, then the Video cassette broke D:

[@RonnieJamesable]

Your childhood was awesome

[@iceman7975]

Loved the Buccaneers, saw them regularly at RAF Gibraltar as a youngster. Elegant ships the County class albeit with all its faults in armament(sea slug sea cat),I suppose it was the best tech at the time.

[@fearlessfoxfilms01]

Those are some lightning fast planes!

[@allgood6760]

Awesome.. thanks 👍🇳🇿

[@cobbler40]

Try hitting an aircraft with seaslug at the height the buccaneers are flying. Also try seeing them above the clutter (sea returns). Even more difficult if they have their jammers on.

[@MostlyPennyCat]

They were, 4 years later. And they often couldn't.

[@alastairward2774]

I suppose it's not so much a problem if you have your own aircraft carriers and planes to shoot them down. But then Russia didn't.

[@ambaiste]

Beautiful aircraft.

[@tsr207]

Marvellous video - watched a comparison between marine strikes by Buccaneers and the Tornados - the Buccaneers thundered over the sea rock solid - the Tornados bouncing up and down ,buffered by the turbulent sea air. With the avionics it should have been equipped with - it would have served far longer in service !

[@richardvernon317]

But the wings then started to fall off!!!!! No wing ever fell off a Tornado!!!

[@captainswoop8722]

Flying tight formation to appear as one return on the radar.

[@SPiderman-rh2zk]

This is really well put together especially at the beginning with the process of intelligence getting to the pilots and their subsequent run in and attack. It's like the stuff of an action movie except it's all very real. There are a few Cold War era RAF, Army and Navy productions like this. The Demolition Guard being another and the target run in on 617: Last days of the Vulcan. It's a shame Buccaneers haven't enjoyed as much public prestige as the American counterpart, the Intruder, though they never fought in any war prior to the Gulf. They did bomb an oil spill in 1967, which probably has the makings of a feature film in itself.

[@tsbedford]

Great Video , the ultimate low flyer:))

[@richardthomas6890]

In the days when Britain was proud and had a combined service with British designed and built equipment This is no slur on British serviceman that serve today. This is a slur on the governments that have governed Britain since the 70’s . Liberalisation has been the death of the Great in Britain

[@captainswoop8722]

yawn

[@stevetheduck1425]

Weapons systems of any real sophistication are now beyond the capacity of almost any country to fund, develop and build. - and what new has come out of even Russia, China or the US? Modifications of thirty-year-old designs and weapons taken out of the boneyards. The money wasted by the politically-motivated procurement process is the reason.

[@captainswoop8722]

@@stevetheduck1425 you are funny

[@Volcano-Man]

@Wallace Carney Actually Typhoon was designed at Warton, in Lancashire and designated EAP, and produced jointly. Modern aircraft are extremely complex and expensive to produce. It's convincing the bean counters in the Treasury that defence whilst expensive is a necessary evil.

[@Volcano-Man]

@Wallace Carney Well for a start you don't mention flying bangers anywhere until your last post. My father was involved in EAP and some other BAC / BAe projects.

[@airlinesecret6725]

LOL, RAF Honington in 77, 16 year old in Ops at night, just the 2 of us sitting next to the Bomber Box waiting for WW3 ! Who said we kids had no responsibility !

[@---rz5th]

Can anyone know then piece of music played near the end perhaps electronic Vangelis.

[@stevetheduck1425]

Sony have Vangelis now, so it's being blocked, which means this film can only be shown in parts or with a 'modern' soundtrack.

[@petersaupe7455]

Whilst in the Royal Air Force Marine Craft branch we were ambling around in the North sea as we did from time to time we were ambushed by Buccaneers on their way from some were to some were else. We did not spot them on our radar as the sets of the day would lose targets if they were high,slowed down rapidly, dropped and accelerate again. Frightened me a bit as I was doing my job,making tea in the galley. I was on the odd occasion allowed to helm the boat.Happy,happy days just being with a brilliant bunch of blokes.

[@octowuss1888]

Buccaneer was a RN aircraft - RAF didn't want it. It was forced upon them after the cancellation of the TSR-2. Nice use of the Martel missile in the video, although how well the TV guidance would have worked against a target with ECM and jamming active is up for debate. Destroyer should count itself lucky the Buccaneers weren't carrying the original Red Beard 20Ktn tactical nukes.

[@dartmaster501]

It wasn't just the cancellation of the TSR-2. It was that and the cancellation of its replacement, the F-111 Aardvark. They purchased Buccaneers and Phantom IIs as the TSR-2 replacement.

[@gaylecormie4682]

I remember when I've heard all about the Bucchanear in R.A.F Lossiemouth

[@rivco5008]

What missile were those Buccaneers firing?

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Californian Martel TV guided ASM.

[@raymondyee2008]

Good show for the Buccaneers. Unfortunately this foreshadowed the horror of the 1982 Falklands War.

[@richardvernon317]

Nay, Sea Cat will work, Sea Dart is the dogs bollocks and Sea Wolf is wonderful.

[@morriganravenchild6613]

Goodnight one Kashin!

[@allybally0021]

They have a defence that would down any Buccaneer.

[@morriganravenchild6613]

@@allybally0021 No way.! See Leo's comments.

[@allybally0021]

@@morriganravenchild6613 The 'Potato' strategy would beat these Buccaneers every time.

[@morriganravenchild6613]

@@allybally0021 Wrong.

[@allybally0021]

@@morriganravenchild6613 Is the Buccaneer still in service? NO. Is the Potato still in service? YES. ......

[@ianclarke7547]

wish we cud turn back time x

[@fearlessfoxfilms]

Bein' a pilot must be tough.

[@LeeLexicons-nn8kj]

Yeah! Dispatcher: Scramble! Scramble! Pilots: U wot m8?! We just sat down!

[@schaeferschaefer2624]

I want to join that navy.

[@robertstorey7476]

They identified the target as HMS Kent but bombed it anyway. Charming.

[@caspercat39]

As low as they go 👌

[@dronnik33]

What music is that?

[@johnthompson3338]

To the Unknown man by Vangelis!!

[@dronnik33]

I find it "Sensemayá (1938) · Alondra de la Parra · Silvestre Revueltas · Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas"

[@georgemorley1029]

Go on then; “Darude, Sandstorm”.

[@LEOjunk]

@@dronnik33 Thank you!! I've been looking for 4 years!

[@citizenphaid1880]

Interesting tactics. So seems that they fly disport closed to confuse the enemy of numbers and then when painted they turn on ECM then split two aircraft and make it seem as though the attack is aborted whilst pressing with a remaining pair. Brilliant.

[@flym0]

Who's that goofing in the orange jacket at 02:21 ?? 🙂

[@SimonWallwork]

'Bananas-bananas!"

[@DaRovmeister]

Did they really have video guidance back in '78?

[@DaRovmeister]

aaand yet just typing 'yes' was so hard to do.

[@AerialImagery]

You're welcome.

[@DaRovmeister]

You're needy.

[@juliusfucik4011]

The Nazis developed it in WW2...

[@richardvernon317]

@@juliusfucik4011 USA used it operationally in WWII, Nazi's didn't!!!

[@jennygore9833]

Where are your buccaneers on the side of your buccan head 😁

[@juk-hw5lv]

Anyone feels urged to play CMANO after watching this?

[@tamahagane1700]

Bucc was sturdy and mighty plane. Icon of pre-VTOL era. Ugly as hell tho :)

[@schaeferschaefer2624]

Seems a bit excessive to sink HMS Kent just for a raf documentary

[@admiralmallard7500]

Haha 😂

[@adolfhilter]

AJ-168 TV martel

[@hitmengleeclub]

don't they know they are on the same team!

[@NeNeMath]

Argie pilots can teach u how to fly low...