Valiant Airborne Command Post

[Haraka]

Re 115 Sqn. Argosies at Cottesmore. During late 73 early 74 I was holding in SHQ under OCGD. I was tasked with doing a 100% Classified document check on 115 Sqn holdings. Quite rightly IMHO certain senior members were astounded at a gash JO having access to operational information not privy to the majority of Squadron Aircrew members.

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by Haraka

One final 'phone story I was told . A Scampton Vulcan crew visited the war room in Cheyenne Mountain in the 60's and were shown the American system where the duty officer could be phoned on any Nuclear base and had to reply within three rings. They were invited to select a base in the USA and this was duly demonstrated. They were assured that this system also extended to appropriate RAF Bases.
At their request this was duly initiated as a demonstration for their home station.
After a couple of rings a female voice announced:

" All lines to Lincoln are currently engaged . Please call later "

More or less true. The Captain was the Scampton Stn Cdr, the war room was the SAC bunker at Offutt. Cheyenne Mountain was Air Defence. The procedure was the SAC Controller would send out a Comms Alert. Every SAC Unit CP would acknowledge and the acknowledge lamp would illuminate. When all acknowledge lights were lit he would pass the message. When lights went out the message was acknowledged. In this case the Stn Cdr asked for the Station Duty Officer - bad call.

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by Top West 50

Was "Exercise Billion" anything to do with it?

This was a monthly 1 Gp bomber exercise. I flew my first in Sep 65. Prior to that they were simply GroupEx.

[Pontius Navigator]

ACP of course had two meanings. Only the Variant was designated with a Command function. However unlike the SAC Looking Glass which had a one or two star general on board the Variant would only have had a standard crew. Its ACP role was probably defined in the Bomber Command War SOP (1st Edn). Coincident with the grounding of the Valiant the SOP 2nd Edition was published in 1965 (that is another story).

As far as fit and practice I don't know (also another story).

I will ask a researcher I am helping.