Thin Pinstriped Line

In February 1996 a Russian VICTOR III nuclear submarine entered the Norwegian Sea on an unknown mission. The Cold War may have ended, but NATO remained alert to any potentially hostile submarine in its waters. Tracked by the Norwegians, the VICTOR began moving towards UK waters, and as a result the decision was taken to commence OPERATION SHARPSHOOTER. The goal of the operation was to allow the UK to monitor and covertly track the submarine to understand its presence and mission and gather invaluable intelligence on the vessel without giving away the British presence. Yet in a most remarkable turn of events, this was a mission that ended with the Royal Navy embarking personnel onboard the VICTOR at sea… Crown Copyright OP SHARPSHOOTER was like previous operations carried out over many years to monitor and track the Russians. In 1995 alone, Operations SYDNEY, PORRINGER and PADBURY were mounted for similar reasons – to find, track and monitor the submarine and understand its mission. ...

  In September 1991British hostage and WW2 RAF veteran Jackie Mann was released by his captors in Beirut and taken to Damascus. There he was reunited with his wife, before being flown by RAF VC10 to Lyneham to return to civilian life. With this flight, one of the final missions of OPERATION BACTON was completed. This short blog covers this relatively unknown RAF contribution to British history. Throughout the 1980s a number of hostages were taken by militia organisations in Lebanon. The hugely complex international politics of the time meant that westerners were seen as attractive targets for kidnapping, ransom and being held to achieve political goals by their captors. Some escaped, others were murdered, while more were kept in hideous conditions pending eventual release. The British government accepted that when released, it was vital to return these individuals as quickly as possible to safety in the UK. It also knew they would be vulnerable, potentially extremely unwell and...

  On 15 April 1986 the United States launched air strikes on Libya intended to punish the Gaddafi regime for its support of terrorism. Dozens of F111 bombers, A6 intruders and F18s launched from the UK and US Navy aircraft carriers carried out strikes across the country, damaging the air defence network and targeting regime facilities. The Libyans threatened a response against those deemed responsible for the attack, although nothing meaningful occurred. What is not realised is that in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the British Government was so concerned about the risk to UK interests in the Mediterranean region, that covert plans were put in place to defend Gibraltar and Cyprus from Libyan attack. This is the untold story of the MOD response, known as OP TOUCAN and OP CLOVER, and how the UK prepared for conflict with Libya in 1986. The British strategic position in the Med during the 1980s was built around two core locations in Cyprus and Gibraltar. The Sovereign Bas...

  Few warship names capture the public imagination like that of HMS ARK ROYAL. Inextricably linked to naval aviation for over 100 years, the ‘ARK’ has embodied critical stages of the Royal Navy’s evolution of carrier airpower and operations. From operations in WW2 to participation in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, vessels bearing the name have conducted themselves in the highest traditions of the Service and gained near mythical status. Yet none have been preserved, despite the lamentations from members of the public who would dearly love to have seen a Royal Navy aircraft carrier become a museum ship. HMS ARK ROYAL (RO9) was the last conventional aircraft carrier in service with the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1943 as an ‘AUDACIOUS’ class carrier, she served from 1955 to 1978, and through her lengthy design, build and service life saw the RN transition from an airwing built around propellor planes to strike Nazi targets to a ‘cats & traps’ angled deck carrier capable of embarkin...

  The RAF C130 Hercules flew across the night sky as part of a much larger task force on a clear night in October 1972. On the flight deck, the pilot could see explosions in the distance, most likely the jets that the SAS had destroyed earlier during their raid on the airport.   In the distance he could see the heat of afterburners, as the Phantom jets from HMS ARK ROYAL intercepted the lone surviving fighter jet, that had gotten off the ground and was trying to attack the RAF armada bearing down on his country.   In the cavernous cargo hold dozens of fully armed paratroopers sat, waiting for the moment when the loadmaster would begin the process of their jumping out into the darkness. The CO of 2 PARA sat with his men, mentally preparing for what was to come next, as he and his entire Battalion were to jump into theatre as part of the biggest airdrop of the Parachute Regiment since Suez, land at the Airport, occupy it and then “hold it until relieved” … The above sound...