RAF Armament Support Unit (RAFASUPU)

[AndrewClark]

Hi AllI understand that this unit was based at RAF Wittering, and was responsible for the safe transport of nuclear weapons for both the RAF and Royal Navy, between 1953 and 2002; but I would like to understand why attendance of "Course 11F4" (in November 1973) would appear as a qualification in the logbook of a Nimrod pilot?

I'd be most grateful for any help at all in this regard.

Thanks

Andrew

[RAFEngO74to09]

RAFASUPU didn't just transport nuclear weapons - it was the instructional and standardization unit for nuclear weapons procedures.

A Nimrod pilot would have done the course because the Nimrod MR2 could carry the US B57 nuclear depth charge (up until 1992) and the UK WE177A.

[Not Long Here]

I am pretty sure (without my logbook being handy) that it was the 11F9 (easy to confuse the 9 with a 4) course which was done as a crew, 2 pilots, 2 Navs and AEO, officers only from the crew and one where you never deviated from the script. In the 70's the qual would be for the Nimrod MR1.
And it was only ever the US NDB

[BEagle]

RAFASUPU didn't just transport nuclear weapons - it was the instructional and standardization unit for nuclear weapons procedures.

Ah yes, what fun it was being taught about the Pauli Exclusion Principle at 08:30 whilst nursing a severe Ruddles hangover after a Stamford curry run the previous night.....

[reynoldsno1]

that it was the 11F9 (easy to confuse the 9 with a 4) course

My logbook says 11F4 in 1974 - easy to confuse the 4 with a 9

[Party Animal]

Just to confirm/agree with NLH. It was definitely the 11F9 course for the Nimrod MR2 but may have been 11F4 for the Nimrod MR1, although there was no change to the hardware in between the aircraft upgrade. Can’t remember if it was a one or two day course but it was programmed in as part of the OCU with the specialist instructor travelling to RAF St Mawgan to provide the lessons. The capability was removed early in 1992, shortly followed by the Nimrod OCU moving to RAF Kinloss. Both bases and the NDB ‘fish boiler’ now confined to history (as well as the Nimrod MR1, MR2, MRA4 and AEW3)!

[AndrewClark]

Excellent stuff! Thank you so much, one and all.

[1771 DELETE]

Originally Posted by Party Animal

Just to confirm/agree with NLH. It was definitely the 11F9 course for the Nimrod MR2 but may have been 11F4 for the Nimrod MR1, although there was no change to the hardware in between the aircraft upgrade. Can’t remember if it was a one or two day course but it was programmed in as part of the OCU with the specialist instructor travelling to RAF St Mawgan to provide the lessons. The capability was removed early in 1992, shortly followed by the Nimrod OCU moving to RAF Kinloss. Both bases and the NDB ‘fish boiler’ now confined to history (as well as the Nimrod MR1, MR2, MRA4 and AEW3)!

There was indeed a major change to hardware, the whole release system was updated around 1983, i spent time at Kirtland AFB for that purpose.

[DuncanDoenitz]

Originally Posted by RAFEngO74to09

RAFASUPU didn't just transport nuclear weapons - it was the instructional and standardization unit for nuclear weapons procedures.

A Nimrod pilot would have done the course because the Nimrod MR2 could carry the US B57 nuclear depth charge (up until 1992) and the UK WE177A.

Also obligatory in the same era was a week-long course for applicable aircraft maintenance personnel; in my case for the FGR2.

Here's a snippet I remember; in the "Special" role the Phantom's AOA indexer lights were slaved to the INAS and employed as a cue for the pilot to pull up for a toss manoevre. It was subsequently discovered that, if the weapon was Armed, and then Disarmed, subsequent operation of the Caution Lights Test would cause the weapon to jettison.

The weapon wouild not have dropped Armed of course.

Probably.