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The Vulcan entered sevice with 83 Squadron in May 1957 and served until 1984.
Vulcan varieties:
- B Mk 1 - the basic bomber
- B Mk 1A - with enhanced ECM equipment in an extended tail-cone
- B Mk 2 - enhanced bomber capable of carrying Blue Steel stand-off air-to- surface nuclear missile, and US Skybolt weapon
- B2(MRR) or SR2 - aircraft converted to conduct strategic maritime radar reconnaissance (MRR) with 27 Squadron
- B2(K) or K2 - late modification for the air-to-air refuelling role
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The Vulcan B1 was armed with the first British atomic bomb, Blue Danube, until this was superseded by a thermonuclear weapon called Yellow Sun. Yellow Sun was also equipped some of the B2 squadrons. From 1962, the B2 squadrons at Scampton, near Lincoln, were armed with Blue Steel, a stand-off nuclear missile which could be launched from a range of up to 100 miles from its target.
The B1 and B2 could also carry 21 one-thousand lb conventional iron bombs. When the Royal Navy took over the deterrent role, some Vulcan units were also equipped with the WE177B tactical nuclear weapon.
Near the end of service life they flew the Operation Black Buck missions against Argentine invaders in the Falkland Islands - a 4000 mile range from Ascension Island.
- Black Buck 1, flown by XM607 lasted 15 hours and 50 minutes and included 18 air-to-air refuelings. Black Bucks 2 (aborted) 3 (cancelled) and 7 (successful were also bombing missions.
- Black Buck 4 (aborted), 5 and 6 were defense suppression missions conducted by aircraft equipped with ECM pods borrowed from Buccaneer aircraft and armed with AS.37 anti-radar Martel missiles and the AGM 45A Shrike anti-radar missile.
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