I buzzed Russian aircraft carrier at 50 feet until their weapons systems lit up my warning receivers

RAF four-ship at low level and other maritime adventures

The Kirov in sight! CREDIT: Mike Looseley

“After an impressively short time, all their weapons systems lit up our warning receivers..”

Operation Friston was the UK response when Soviet ships passed through waters near the UK. It was regularly activated as Northern Fleet Soviet warships often transited the Iceland - Faroes gap en route to the Atlantic. The Operation Order, which we were regularly required to read and sign for, laid down very strict rules about how close, how fast and how often we could approach the Soviet ships. No rules in the entire RAF were so universally disregarded as those!

One spring day in 1985, we were tasked against the Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev and her escorts transiting the gaps North of the UK. It may have been a period of tense relations because the decision was made to make our presence well and truly felt. An experienced four-ship was put together ( I was in number 4 - so no responsibilities!), and we planned to make a radio and radar silent approach and try and take them by surprise.

So, once we ditched UK Air Traffic Control we went silent - we met a VC10 tanker and refuelled - itself an achievement radio silent- and headed North. A Nimrod was on station broadcasting the task group's position, and well outside their radar coverage, we let down to a low level - fifty feet over the sea where the Buccaneer was happiest. We headed in towards the targets listening to the Nimrod and watching the leader for his changes of heading and speed, and once close, we accelerated to 550knots, still at 50 feet!

“Scary? Night close formation over the sea at low level was very scary. I swear we went thirty minutes without daring to blink!”

We received no warning indications that they were aware of our approach, and sure enough, they appeared right on the nose.

As we went as low and as close as we dared past the Kiev, successive aircraft taking bow and stern below the level of their deck, we saw they were having a parade on the flight deck! It must have been quite a shock! They maintained their formation for the second pass, but they scattered during the third.