Before the aircraft took off, the
meteorologists would predict where
the upper air flow would appear.
The first collection attempts were
made at high level because the
stronger winds at altitude meant the
top of the cloud came within range
first. If this proved unsuccessful
further sorties could take place at
lower altitudes.
Dioné the first French nuclear
weapon in the 1971 test series – wasdetonated at 19:15 GMT on June
5, 1971, with just two Victor sorties
(codenamed Katina) needed to be
flown against it on this occasion.
No radioactive contact was made
by Katina 1, flown by Flt Lt John
Dixon patrolling at 39,000ft
(11,890m), but some significant
changes in wind pattern were
observed and reported.
This ‘miss’ made the second sortie,
piloted by Flt Lt Tom Barnard inSamples were collected from the rear
of the cloud where the intensity of
radioactivity was lower.GREENISH-YELLOW
CLOUD
Prior to a test the French were
required to issue an International
Safety Notice to ships and seafarers
in the area which enabled the 543
Squadron detachment to be brought
to readiness.Air electronics offi cer (AEO) Flt Lt Mike Beer took part in detachments by 543 Squadron to ‘sniff’ Chinese nuclear tests, at Shemya, in the
Aleutian Islands, between Alaska and Siberia and at Midway in the Philippines.
He writes: “We tried a different launch base for the fi rst Chinese airborne test from Lop Nor in October 1970. Victor SR.2s XL161 and
XL230 were detached from Wyton to Shemya via Goose Bay, Labrador. Detachment commander was Sqn Ldr Brian Kennelly and the crew
captains were Flt Lts Tony Hudson and Tom Barnard. The AEO with Hudson was Ian Stewart and I was AEO with Tom.
“Shemya is an inhospitable spot, very close to the Russian border, a long runway but foul weather - wind, rain, low mist/fog and snow/
ice in season. It was covered in various aerials.
“My logbook shows that I fl ew with Tom on local familiarisation sorties including practice diversions to Cold Bay and Adak in XL161 on
October 4 and 6. It was good practice to check out local diversions before you needed them in extremis.
“Tony launched in early evening of the 15th when the cloud was predicted as within range. He made a successful collection, landing
back on Shemya. The samples were considered suffi cient and Tom and myself launched in XL161 with the lead box [containing the
radioactive samples] the following day on a delivery sortie to McClellan Air Force Base, California, for handover to AWRE and dispatch.
“During one of the deployments to Midway, the detachment was having severe problems locating one of the tests in the Chinese series.
All the tactics were used, stepping down in altitude etc, but the cloud evaded the searchers and it had to be faced - it’d been missed.
“The UK met specialists and AWRE calculated that the cloud was continuing easterly and would pass over Britain, albeit well dispersed
by then. The reserve aircraft, always held at Wyton during sniffi ng operations, launched with Sqn Ldr ‘Robbie’ Roberts as captain and
Flt Lt Tony Jaquarello as AEO. They made a successful collection within UK airspace much to the ironic amusement of the squadron
crewroom.”SAMPLING THE CHINESE
54 FLYPAST April 2018
Sampling pod-equipped Victor B(SR).2 XL161 of 543 Squadron staging through
Goose Bay, Labrador on October 18, 1970 en route to the UK after having being
used over Shemya. In front of the Victor – with Mike Beer in the AEO position, and
Tom Barnard as pilot - are Vulcan B.2s XL427 and XM603 - the latter preserved today at
its birthplace in Woodford. KEC1918 2018