The Battle of Britain, 1985

At the recent Wargame Developments Autumn Virtual Gathering, I gave a presentation about the 1985 Battle of Britain that was outlined in General Hackett's book THE THIRD WORLD WAR. I hope to turn the presentation into a YouTube video, but in the meantime, here is the outline of the information I covered in it.

---

The prediction …

According to General Hackett’s book The Third World War (published in 1978), the war would start on 4th August 1985. To defend UK airspace, the book made several assumptions that by 1985 the RAF would have the following assets:

• Two squadrons of English Electric Lightning F.6s.
• Considerable numbers of Panavia Tornado ADV aircraft would have replaced the McDonnell Douglas Phantoms previously used for air defence.
• BAE Nimrod AEW would be in service.
• Vickers VC-10 transports would have been converted for the air-to-air refuelling role.
• Boeing KC-135 air-to-air refuelling tankers would have been purchased from the United States.
• The number of SAMs in service would have been considerably enhanced by increased production and the diversion of overseas sales.
• Two squadrons of EUROSAM (the Aster 30) would be in service.
• New radar and command systems would be in place.

The air war began unofficially on 30th July when a Russian reconnaissance MiG-25 Foxbat approached UK airspace and a Tornado from Leuchars was sent to intercept it. The Russian aircraft turned away before it was intercepted and accelerated to Mach 2.5. Ground-based radar systems reported sporadic ECM interference during the incident, but AEW was able to maintain radar coverage.

Once the war started, the UK was subject to a series of Russian attacks that were intended to achieve the following objectives:

1. The neutralization of UK air defences.
2. The elimination of nuclear-capable land-based forces.
3. The disruption of the command-and-control structure.
4. The interception of transatlantic reinforcement flights to Europe.

As a result of these attacks, the ground-based radar systems were destroyed, AEW aircraft were shot down, and no European mainland radar systems were available to give early warning of Russian air attacks on the UK.

Tornados – supported by tankers – were forced to operate autonomous air patrols to intercept Russian attacks until replacement AEW and mobile ground-based radar systems became available. These air patrols were initially concentrated on the area to the northeast of Scotland but switched to the Baltic entrance into the North Sea as the Russian advanced in northern Europe.

Runways were subject to considerable damage due to cratering, but these were repaired by specialist repair units.

Most Russian low-level air attacks on airfields were shot down by Rapier SAM units defending the RAF’s airfields.

Russian medium-level air attacks were accompanied by considerable ECM.

The use of precision-guided air-launched stand-off ordnance was concentrated on specific types of targets.

• Airfields, air defence radars, and command-and-control centres.
• Ports and airports.
• Factories producing aircraft and ordnance.
• Central government buildings … including the Treasury, the Ministry of Defence, and the Palace of Westminster.

By the afternoon of 12th August (the ninth day of the war) Russian air attacks on the UK effectively ended. Incoming Russian Backfires were turning for home as soon as they picked up intercepting Tornados.

The air defence of the UK had defeated the enemy … just!

---

The reality … 

RAF Strike Command was formed on 30th April 1968 by the merger of Bomber Command and Fighter Command, which became No. 1 Group and No. 11 Group respectively. Air Defence of the UK was in the hands of No. 11 Group (RAF Bentley Priory, Greater London).

During the early 1980s, the Group included the following RAF squadrons:

• No. 5 Squadron: English Electric Lightning F.6: RAF Binbrook (Lincolnshire)
• No. 11 Squadron: English Electric Lightning F.6: RAF Binbrook (Lincolnshire)
• No. 23 Squadron: McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2: RAF Coningsby, (Lincolnshire) (until August 1982, when it moved to the Falkland Islands)
• No. 29 Squadron: McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2: RAF Coningsby (Lincolnshire) (until October 1983 when it moved to the Falkland Islands)
• No. 43 Squadron: McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1: RAF Leuchars (Fife)
• No. 56 Squadron: McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2: RAF Wattisham (Suffolk)
• No. 64 Squadron/228 OCU: McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 and FGR.2: RAF Coningsby (Lincolnshire)
• No. 74 Squadron: McDonnell Douglas Phantom F-4J(UK): RAF Wattisham (Suffolk) (from October 1984)
• No. 111 Squadron: McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1: RAF Leuchars (Fife)

From 1983 to 1986, eighty-eight BAE Hawks T1s operated by various training squadrons (mainly No.4 Flying Training School, RAF Valley (Anglesey)) were equipped as short-range interceptor aircraft and modified to carry two AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles in addition to a 30 mm ADEN centre-mounted under-fuselage gun pod.

In addition, SAMs were operated by several RAF squadrons in the UK:

• No. 25 Squadron: Bristol Bloodhound: RAF Wyton (Cambridgeshire) (defending RAF Barkston Heath (Lincolnshire), RAF Wattisham (Suffolk), and RAF Wyton (Cambridgeshire))
• No. 27 Squadron: BAC Rapier: RAF Leuchars (Fife)
• No. 66 Squadron: BAC Rapier: HQ RAF West Raynham (Norfolk) (defending RAF Bentwaters (Suffolk) and RAF Woodbridge (Suffolk))
• No. 85 Squadron: Bristol Bloodhound: HQ RAF West Raynham (Norfolk) (defending RAF West Raynham (Norfolk), RAF North Coates (Lincolnshire), and RAF Bawdsey (Suffolk))

In support were:

• No.8 Squadron: 12 Avro Shackelton AEW.2: RAF Lossiemouth (Moray) … equipped with a third-hand AEW radar, the AN/APS-20 that had first been introduced into service in the USA in 1945 and previously fitted to Royal Navy’s Douglas AD-4W Skyraider AEW.1 and Fairey Gannet AEW.3 aircraft!
• No. 55 Squadron: 12 Handley Page Victor K.2 air-to-air refuelling aircraft: RAF Marham (Norfolk)
• No. 57 Squadron: 12 Handley Page Victor K.2 air-to-air refuelling aircraft: RAF Marham (Norfolk)
• No. 101 Squadron: 13 Vickers VC10 C.1K two-point tanker/transports: RAF Brize Norton (Oxfordshire)
• No. 216 Squadron: 9 Lockheed Tristar KC.1 air-to-air refuelling aircraft: RAF Brize Norton (Oxfordshire)

The following ground-based radar stations were available to feed data into the air defence system:

• RAF Saxa Vord (Shetland Islands)
• RAF Buchan (Aberdeenshire)
• RAF Boulmer (Northumberland)
• RAF Staxton Wood (Yorkshire)
• RAF Neatishead (Norfolk)
• RAF Benbecula (Outer Hebrides)

Summary of air defence assets:

• 2 x English Electric Lightning F.6 short-range interceptor squadrons
• 7 x McDonnell Douglas Phantom long-range interceptor squadrons
• 2/3 x BAE Hawks T1 reserve interceptor squadrons
• 2 x Bristol Bloodhound medium-range SAM squadrons
• 2 x BAC Rapier short-range SAM squadrons

---

RAF 1985 equipment data

• The English Electric Lightning F.6 had a maximum speed of 1,500 mph, a supersonic combat range of 155 miles and was armed with 2 x 30 mm ADEN cannon and 2 x de Havilland Firestreak or Red Top AAMs. (In theory, if moving at its maximum speed, the aircraft would take 6.2 minutes to reach its combat range.)
• The McDonnell Douglas Phantom had a maximum speed of 1,386 mph, a combat range of 370 miles and was armed with 6 x AIM-7 Sparrow or Skyflash AAMs, 4 x AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs, and a 20 mm SUU-23/A gun pod. (In theory, if moving at its maximum speed, the aircraft would take 16 minutes to reach its combat range.)
• The BAE Hawk T1 had a maximum speed of 644 mph and a range of 1,500 miles and was armed with 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs and a 30mm ADEN gun pod.
• The Bristol Bloodhound had a maximum speed of 2,070 mph and a combat range of 120 miles. (In theory, if moving at its maximum speed, the missile would take 3.5 minutes to reach its combat range.)
• The BAC Rapier had a maximum speed of 2,300 mph and a combat range of 5 miles. (In theory, if moving at its maximum speed, the missile would take 7.8 seconds to reach its combat range.)