Aviation News - June 2016

during exercises, or in wartime, but they soon

came into permanent everyday use.

The Brüggen Jaguars could have been

dispersed during wartime if the air eld

was severely damaged as the aircraft was

designed to be capable of rough- eld and

semi-prepared site operations. These

capabilities were demonstrated in September

1977 when 31 Sqn took four Jaguars and

operated from a section of newly constructed

autobahn between Bremen and Bremerhaven

for a short period with other NATO aircraft.

RAFG Jaguars conventional attack role

was ‘interdiction and battle eld support’,

against targets expected to include air elds,

vehicles, armour and troop concentrations

using straight lay-down, loft or dive bombing

techniques plus stra ng with its 30mm ADEN

cannon.

Peter described station  ying operations:

“For standard training missions we usually

followed an established routine. Flying was

generally programmed for the following day,

so people knew what they would be doing.

We allowed an hour for planning and brie ng,

and then walked to the aircraft.

“When planning a four-ship mission we

generally took the four Jaguars from just

two HASs. The  rst would be pulled out

and started while the other did so inside

the shelter. On getting airborne we usually

headed north then, once clear of local and

Düsseldorf air traffic, would let down to low

level, 250ft, for the rest of the mission.

“En route we might undertake a couple of

‘off range’ attacks which involved setting up

an IP [initial point], then simply running into

target with four airplanes, about 15 seconds

over the target using pretty straightforward

tactics. We would then proceed to one of the

many weapons ranges, such as Nordhorn.

“Starting with a level, close-run attack on

the strike target, then peeling off, drop three

practice bombs in the conventional pattern

followed by four or  ve stra ng passes. On

completion we would join up again, return

to Brüggen, perform a couple of circuits,

land and debrief. Such missions usually

lasted about an hour, but when we  ew to

the UK ranges, with a fuel stop at Coltishall,

or Lossiemouth, sometimes Waddington,

Leeming, or other bases, they would be

somewhat longer.”

Between February 1976 and January

1978, during Peter’s tour with 31 Sqn,

the station was commanded by Gp Cpt

John Walker, sometimes referred to as

‘Mr Brüggen’, who brought his unrivalled

experience of the Jaguar to RAF Germany’s

frontline environment.

Peter described him as “an absolute star,

he made the RAF Germany Jaguar force

one to be reckoned with. Brüggen stood out

because of people, they came from all sorts

of backgrounds and it became the best wing

in the RAF since World War Two. The four

squadrons often operated in different ways,

but everyone was working for the same thing:

RAF Brüggen and the ‘defence of the nation’

sort of ethos. We were the frontline of the

Cold War in Germany.”

NUCLEAR STRIKE

The Brüggen Wing’s nuclear role was probably

the most crucial, certainly most sensitive.

Peter explained: “The station maintained

aircraft on quick reaction alert (QRA) for the

whole time the Jaguar force was at Brüggen,

important in its own right, but it is one few

seem now to recognise. We had four full

squadrons, of arguably 18 aircraft each. At

any one time we had  ve aircraft nuclear

armed and ready to go. The Jaguar holds a

unique place by being the only single-seat,

nuclear armed aircraft the RAF ever operated.

It was a huge commitment. Not only the

pilots but the groundcrews, maintenance

personnel, station security, air traffic,  remen

and many others.”

The Jaguars were armed with the UK’s

WE177 freefall nuclear weapon, stored

under strict security on the station. Assigned

to NATO’s SACEUR (Supreme Allied

Commander Europe) together with the

Buccaneers at nearby Laarbruch, they were

the UK’s key contribution to NATO’s airborne

nuclear forces in West Germany.

It was envisaged that the Jaguar’s nuclear

stores would be used on the ‘forward edge

64 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft June 2016

Two-seat Jaguar T.2 XX842 of II(AC) Sqn over West Germany in 1988. The T.2s played an important role in each squadron

with the constant  ow of new pilots, as well as the need for check rides and continuation training. Peter R Foster

No.31 Sqn was the third Brüggen unit to form on Jaguars in 1976. R Shaw and HJ Breuer

Two II(AC) Sqn Jaguars rest on the RAF Wildenrath  ight line during the 1978 Tactical Air Meet.

The Jaguar performed well in RAFG and NATO bombing competitions. USAF/SSgt David E Shaffer

62-66_jaguarsDC.mfDC.mf.indd 64 04/05/2016 17:25