From post 86:
"(b) how quickly could it be done, for those in the know to call up RAF ATC and say, "If you see a blip or 3 near Calvine, just ignore them, OK? Don't launch QRA."
Theoretically, very easy to achieve. QRA required the duty officer to authorize launch. If that officer was prebriefed on planned unusual flying activity, they would be able to tie reports of something unusual that would ordinarily require investigation with the prebriefed activity, and hold any launch. Of course, the surveillance officers that had reported the unusual activity would have to be told that said activity was nothing to worry about.. Always a give away that something classified was happening. My personal favourite explanation from the duty controller was that the Mach 2 track at 40k was a harrier on an engine test. Funnily enough, same part of the world and similar timeframe to this incident.