Blackburn Buccaneer The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low - level subsonic strike aircraft that served with the Royal Navy ( RN ) and later the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) , retiring from service in 1994 . Designed and initially produced by Blackburn Aircraft at Brough , it was later known as the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer when Blackburn became a part of the Hawker Siddeley group . The Royal Navy originally procured the Buccaneer as a naval strike aircraft capable of operating from their aircraft carriers , introducing the type to service in 1962 to counterbalance advances made in the Soviet Navy . The Buccaneer was capable of delivering nuclear weapon s as well as conventional munitions for anti - shipping warfare , and were typically active in the North Sea area during its service . Early on the initial production aircraft suffered a series of accidents due to insufficient engine power , thus the Buccaneer S . 2 , equipped with more powerful Rolls - Royce Spey engines , was soon introduced . Although they originally rejected it in favour of the supersonic BAC TSR - 2 , the RAF later procured the Buccaneer as a substitute following the cancellation of both the TSR - 2 and its planned replacement , the F - 111K . When the RN retired the last of its large aircraft carriers , its Buccaneers were transferred to the RAF . The South African Air Force also procured the type . Buccaneers saw combat action in the Gulf War and the South African Border War . In RN service , the Buccaneer was replaced with the V / STOL British Aerospace Sea Harrier . In RAF service , they were replaced by the Panavia Tornado . Development . Royal Navy . In the early 1950s , the Soviet Navy introduced the Sverdlov class cruiser into service . Light cruiser s by Second World War standard , they were fast , effectively armed and numerous . Like the German " pocket battleships " during the Second World War , they presented a serious threat to the merchant fleets in the Atlantic , but they were in far greater numbers and up to 25 % faster . To counter this threat , the Royal Navy decided not to use a new ship class of its own , but instead introduce a specialised strike aircraft employing conventional or nuclear weapons . Operating from the Navy ' s fleet carriers and attacking at high speed and low level , it would offer a solution to the Sverdlov problem . A detailed specification was issued in June 1952 as Naval Staff Requirement " NA . 39 " , calling for a two - seat aircraft with folding wings , capable of flying at at sea level , with a combat radius of low down and at altitude . A weapons load of was required including conventional bombs , the Red Beard free - fall nuclear bomb or the Green Cheese anti - ship missile . Based on the requirement , the Ministry of Supply issued specification " M . 148T " in August 1952 , and the first responses were returned in February 1953 . Blackburn ' s design by Barry P . Laight , " Project B - 103 " , won the tender in July 1955 . Owing to secrecy , the aircraft was called " BNA " ( Blackburn Naval Aircraft ) or " BANA " ( Blackburn Advanced Naval Aircraft ) in documents , leading to the nickname of " " Banana Jet " " . The first prototype made its maiden flight from RAE Bedford on 30 April 1958 . The first Buccaneer model , the " Buccaneer S . 1 " , was powered by a pair of de Havilland Gyron Junior turbojets producing of thrust . This mark was somewhat underpowered and as a consequence could not take off fully laden with both fuel and armament . A temporary solution to this problem was the " buddy " system ; aircraft took off with a full load of weaponry and minimal fuel and would sortie with a Supermarine Scimitar that would deliver the full load of fuel by aerial refuelling . The lack of power meant , however , that loss of an engine during take - off or landing at full load , when the aircraft was dependent on flap blowing , could be catastrophic . The long - term solution was the " Buccaneer S . 2 " , fitted with the Rolls - Royce Spey turbofan , which provided 40 % more thrust with a greatly reduced fuel consumption . The engine nacelles had to be enlarged to accommodate the Spey , and the wing required minor aerodynamic modifications as a result . Hawker Siddeley announced the production order for the S . 2 in January 1962 . South Africa . In October 1962 , 16 aircraft were ordered by the South African Air Force , as the " Buccaneer S . 50 " . These were S . 2 aircraft with the addition of Bristol Siddeley BS . 605 rocket engines to provide additional thrust for the " hot and high " African airfields . The S . 50 was also equipped with strengthened undercarriage and higher capacity wheel brakes , and had manually folded wings . They were equipped to use the AS - 30 command guided air - to - surface missiles . In - flight refuelling was also specified and due to the vast coastline , longer range underwing tanks . Once in service , the extra thrust of the BS . 605 rocket engines proved to be unnecessary and thus the rockets were very rarely operated and were eventually removed from all aircraft . South Africa later sought to procure further Buccaneers , but the British Government blocked further orders due to an imposition of a United Nations embargo of South Africa . Royal Air Force . Blackburn ' s first attempt to sell the Buccaneer to the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) occurred in 1957 – 58 , in response to the Air Ministry Operational Requirement OR . 339 , for a replacement for the RAF ' s English Electric Canberra ' s light bombers , with supersonic speed and a combat radius ; asking for an all - weather aircraft that could deliver nuclear weapons over a long range , operate at high level at Mach 2 + or low level at Mach 1 . 2 , with STOL performance . Blackburn proposed two designs , the B . 103A , a simple modification of the Buccaneer S . 1 with more fuel , and the B . 108 , a more extensively modified aircraft with more sophisticated avionics . Against a background of interservice distrust , political issues and the 1957 Defence White Paper , both types were rejected by the RAF , as being firmly subsonic and incapable of meeting the RAF ' s range requirements , while the B . 108 , which retained Gyron Junior engines while being heavier than the S . 1 , would have been severely underpowered , giving poor short - take off performance . The BAC TSR - 2 was eventually selected in 1959 . After the cancellation of the TSR - 2 and then the substitute American General Dynamics F - 111K , the Royal Air Force still required a replacement for its Canberras in the low - level strike role , while the planned retirement for the Royal Navy ' s aircraft carriers meant that the RAF would also need to add a maritime strike capability . It was therefore decided in 1968 that the RAF would adopt the Buccaneer , both by the purchase of new - build aircraft , and by taking over the Fleet Air Arm ' s Buccaneers as the carriers were retired . A total of 46 new - build aircraft for the RAF were built by Blackburn ' s successor , Hawker Siddeley , designated " S . 2B " . These had RAF - type communications and avionics equipment , Martel air - to - surface missile capability , and could be equipped with a bulged bomb - bay door containing an extra fuel tank . Some Fleet Air Arm Buccaneers were modified in - service to also carry the Martel anti - ship missile . Martel - capable FAA aircraft were later redesignated " S . 2D " . The remaining aircraft became " S . 2C " . RAF aircraft were given various upgrades . Self - defence was improved by the addition of the AN / ALQ - 101 ECM pod ( also found on RAF ' s SEPECAT Jaguar GR . 3 ) , chaff / flare dispensers and AIM - 9 Sidewinder capability . RAF low - level strike Buccaneers could carry what was known as " retard defence " ; four retarded bombs internally that could be dropped to provide an effective deterrent against any following aircraft . In 1979 , the RAF obtained the American AN / AVQ - 23E Pave Spike laser designator pod for Paveway II guided bombs ; allowing the aircraft to act as target designators for other Buccaneers , Jaguars , and other strike aircraft . From 1986 , No . 208 Squadron RAF then No . 12 ( B ) Sqn replaced the Martel ASM with the Sea Eagle missile . Proposed developments . Further developments beyond the Buccaneer S . 2 were put forward by Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s and 1970s ; however none would be pursued through to production by either the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force . One such effort was designated as " Buccaneer 2 * " , which was presented as a cost - effective alternative to the TSR - 2 . The 2 * would have featured newer equipment such as head - up display s and onboard computers from the cancelled Hawker Siddeley P . 1154 VTOL aircraft , it would have also adopted the same radar system as that being developed for the TSR - 2 . An even more extensively upgraded model , the " Buccaneer 2 * * " was also mooted , which would have been furnished with more sophisticated land - strike capabilities derived from the TSR - 2 again . According to Denis Healey , former Secretary of State for Defence 1964 - 1970 , the RAF had been hostile to the Buccaneer due to it being a naval aircraft ; it has been further suggested that developing improved Buccaneers for the RAF would weaken arguments against the Royal Navy ' s planned CVA - 01 class aircraft carriers . In one report by the Ministry of Defence , it was claimed that two Buccaneer 2 * could do the job of one General Dynamics F - 111 and would cost half the per unit cost . Design . Overview . The Buccaneer was a mid - wing , twin - engine monoplane with a crew of two in a tandem seat arrangement . In service , the Buccaneer was required to regularly fly at sea level in order to avoid radar and enemy air defense systems , often flying long range missions from both aircraft carriers and shore bases . The aircraft had an all - weather flight capability due to the extensive electronics used on the type for navigation and fire - control functions , these systems also greatly assisted the crew during low level flight operations . The Buccaneer was one of the largest aircraft to operate from British aircraft carriers , and continued operating from them until the last conventional carrier was withdrawn in 1978 . During its service , the Buccaneer was the backbone of the Navy ' s ground strike operations , including the critically important nuclear strike mission . In order to enable the aircraft to perform effectively in the crucial low level flight conditions it was operated under , several major design features were integrated into the Buccaneer . The then - new technology of boundary layer control ( BLC ) was studied extensively and a fully ' blown ' wing was adopted , significantly improving low - speed performance crucial to effective carrier operations . The Buccaneer featured a large internal bomb bay , in which a wide range of conventional and nuclear armaments could be housed , in addition to external weapons mounting points . The fuselage of the aircraft was designed for exceptional strength and durability , and to resist the phenomenon of metal fatigue exacerbated by prolonged flight operations at low altitude . Armament and equipment . The Buccaneer had been designed specifically as a maritime nuclear strike aircraft . Its intended weapon was a nuclear air - to - surface missile codenamed Green Cheese , but this weapon ' s development was cancelled , and in its place was the unguided Red Beard , which had been developed for the Canberra . Red Beard had an explosive yield in the 10 to 20 kiloton range ; and was mounted on a special bomb bay door into which it nested neatly to reduce aerodynamic buffet on the launch aircraft . At low levels and high speeds , traditional bomb bay doors could not be opened safely into the air stream ; therefore , doors were developed that rotated into the fuselage to expose the payload ; this feature also proved convenient in providing ground - level access . The bomb bay could also accommodate a ferry tank , as well as a photo - reconnaissance " crate " or a cargo container . The reconnaissance package featured an assortment of six cameras , each at different angles or having different imaging properties , and was only mounted on missions specifically involving reconnaissance activities . The Buccaneer also featured four underwing hard point s capable of mounting bombs , small missiles or other equipment such as flares ; the aircraft was capable of carrying practically all munitions being used by Royal Navy aircraft upon its entry into service . At one point it was intended for a pack with twin Aden 30 mm cannons to be developed for the Buccaneer , however the effort was abandoned and the type never carried a cannon armament . The majority of the rear fuselage ' s internal area is used to house electronics , such as many elements of the radio , equipment supporting the aircraft ' s radar functionality , and the crew ' s liquid oxygen life support system ; the compartment is actively cooled by ram air drawn from the tailfin . For redundancy , the Buccaneer featured three independent hydraulic systems , and dual busbars for electrical systems . The aircraft was made easier to control and land via an integrated flight control computer that performed auto - stabilisation and auto pilot functions . Boundary layer control . In order to dramatically improve aerodynamic performance at slow speeds , such as during take - off and landing , Blackburn adopted a new aerodynamic control technology , known as boundary layer control ( BLC ) . BLC bled high pressure air directly from the engines and strategically " blowing " against various parts of the aircraft ' s wing surfaces . A full - span slit along the part of the wing ' s trailing edge was found to give almost 50 % more lift than any contemporary scheme . In order to counteract the severe pitch movements that would otherwise be generated by use of BLC , a self - trimming system was interconnected with the BLC system and additional blowing of the wing ' s leading edge was also introduced . The use of BLC allowed the use of slats to be entirely discarded in the design . Before landing , the pilot would open the BLC vents as well as lower the flaps to achieve slow , stable flight . A consequence of the blown wing was that the engines were required to run at high power for low - speed flight in order to generate sufficient compressor gas for blowing . Blackburn ' s solution to this situation was the adoption of a large air brake ; this also allowed an overshooting aircraft to pull away more quickly during a failed landing attempt . The nose cone and radar antenna could also be swung around by 180° to reduce the length of the aircraft in the carrier hangar . This feature was particularly important due to the small size of the aircraft carriers that the Buccaneer typically operated from . For a carrier take - off , the Buccaneer was pulled tail - down on the catapult with its nosewheel in the air to put the wing at about 11 degrees ; it could be launched " hands - off " - the pilot able to leave the tailplane in a neutral position . With blowing on , the Spey 101 output drops to around though about is recovered from the trailing edge slits which face aft . About 70 % of the blown air goes over the flaps and ailerons ( which are in a drooped position ) . Off an aircraft carrier , the minimum launch speed was around 120 knots at ; from an airfield , the Buccaneer took off in at with blown air , the figures become at without blown air . Fuselage and structure . The fuselage of the Buccaneer was designed using the area rule technique , which had the effort of reducing drag while travelling at high subsonic and transonic speeds , and gave rise to the characteristic curvy " Coke bottle " shape of the fuselage . The majority of the airframe and fuselage was machined from solid casting to give great strength to endure the stress of low level operations , considerable effort went into ensuring that metal fatigue would not be a limiting factor of the Buccaneer ' s operational life even under the formidable conditions imposed of continuous low level flight . A large air brake was built into the tail cone of the aircraft . The hydraulically operated air brake formed two leaves that could be opened into the airstream to quickly decelerate the aircraft . The style of air brake chosen by Blackburn was highly effective in the dive - attack profile that the Buccaneer was intended to perform , as well as effectively balancing out induced drag from operating the BLC system . It featured a variable incidence tailplane that could be trimmed to suit the particular requirements of low - speed handling or high - speed flight ; the tailplane had to be high mounted due to the positioning and functionality of the Buccaneer ' s air brake . The wing design of the Buccaneer was a compromise between two requirements : a low aspect ratio for gust response and high aspect ratio to give good range performance . The small wing was suited to high - speed flight at low altitude ; however , a small wing did not generate sufficient lift that was essential for carrier operations . Therefore , BLC was used upon both the wing and horizontal stabilizer , having the effect of energising and smoothing the boundary layer airflow , which significantly reduced airflow separation at the back of the wing , and therefore decreased stall speed , and increased effectiveness of trailing edge control surfaces including flaps and ailerons . Operational history . Fleet Air Arm . The Buccaneer entered service with the Fleet Air Arm on 17 July 1962 when 801 NAS was commissioned at RNAS Lossiemouth in Scotland . The Buccaneer quickly replaced the FAA ' s Supermarine Scimitar , which had previously been performing the naval attack fight duties . In addition to conventional ordnance , the Buccaneer was type - approved for nuclear weapon s delivery in 1965 ; weapons deployed included Red Beard and WE . 177 drop - bombs , which were carried internally in a rotating bomb - bay . Two Fleet Air Arm operational squadrons and a training unit were equipped with the Buccaneer S . 1 . The aircraft was well liked by Navy aircrew for its strength and flying qualities , and the BLC system gave them slower landing speeds than they were accustomed to . The Buccaneers were painted dark sea grey on top and anti - flash white on the undersides . The Buccaneer S . 1 ' s Gyron Junior engines were not powerful enough , and they led to the type ' s career coming to an abrupt end in December 1970 . On 1 December , an S . 1 was making a landing approach when an engine surge disrupted the approach and forced the two crewmen to eject . On 8 December , an S . 1 on a training flight suffered a turbine failure . The pilot successfully ejected , but due to a mechanical glitch the back - seater was killed . Subsequent inspections concluded that the Gyron Junior engine was not to a standard now considered to be suited for operations . All surviving S . 1s were grounded immediately on a permanent basis . By April 1965 , intensive trials of the new Buccaneer S . 2 had begun , with the type enter operational service with the FAA later that year . The improved S . 2 type proved its value when it became the first FAA aircraft to make a non - stop , unrefuelled crossing of the Atlantic Ocean . On 28 March 1967 , Buccaneers from RNAS Lossiemouth bombed the shipwrecked supertanker off the western coast of Cornwall to make the oil burn in order to avoid an environmental disaster . In 1972 , Buccaneers of 809 Naval Air Squadron operating from HMS " Ark Royal " took part in a 1 , 500 mile mission to show a military presence over British Honduras ( modern day Belize ) shortly before its independence , to deter a possible Guatemalan invasion in pursuit of their territorial claims over the country . The Buccaneer also participated in regular patrols and exercises in the North Sea , practicing the type ' s role if war had broken out with the Soviet Union . During the 1960s and 1970s , the Royal Navy standardised the air wings operating from their carriers around the Phantom , Buccaneer , and the Fairey Gannet aircraft . A total of six FAA squadrons were equipped with the Buccaneer : 700B / 700Z ( Intensive Flying Trials Unit ) , 736 ( training ) , 800 , 801 , 803 and 809 Naval Air Squadrons . Buccaneers were embarked on , , and . The Buccaneer was retired from Fleet Air Arm service with the decommissioning of the " Ark Royal " in 1978 . The Royal Navy would replace their naval strike capability with V / STOL - capable British Aerospace Sea Harrier s , operating from the smaller Invincible class aircraft carrier s . Royal Air Force . After the F - 111K was cancelled in early 1968 , due to the programme suffering serious cost escalation and delays , the RAF was forced to look for a replacement that was available and affordable , and reluctantly selected the Buccaneer . The first RAF unit to receive the Buccaneer was 12 Squadron at RAF Honington in October 1969 , in the maritime strike role , at first equipped with ex - Royal Navy Buccaneers S . 2As . This was to remain a key station for the type as 15 Squadron equipped with the Buccaneer the following year , before moving to RAF Laarbruch in 1971 , and the RAF Buccaneer conversion unit , 237 OCU , forming at Honington in March 1971 . The Buccaneer was seen as an interim solution , but delays in the Panavia Tornado programme would ensure that the " interim " period would stretch out , and the Buccaneer would remain in RAF service for over two decades , long after the FAA had given up the type . With the phased withdrawal of the Royal Navy ' s carrier fleet during the 1970s , Fleet Air Arm Buccaneers were transferred to the RAF , which had taken over the maritime strike role . 62 of the 84 S . 2 aircraft were eventually transferred , redesignated " S . 2A " ; some of these were later upgraded to S . 2B standard . Ex - FAA aircraft equipped 16 Squadron , joining 15 Squadron at RAF Laarbruch , and 208 Squadron at Honington ; the last ex - FAA aircraft went to 216 Squadron . From 1970 , with 12 Squadron initially , followed by 15 Squadron , 16 Squadron , No . 237 OCU , 208 Squadron and 216 Squadron , the RAF Buccaneer force re - equipped with WE . 177 nuclear weapons . At peak strength Buccaneers equipped six RAF squadrons , although for one year only . A more sustained strength of five squadrons was made up of three squadrons ( 15 Squadron , 16 Squadron , 208 Squadron ) plus No . 237 OCU ( a war reserve or Shadow squadron ) all assigned to Supreme Allied Commander Europe ( " SACEUR " ) for land strike duties in support of land forces opposing Warsaw Pact land forces on the Continent , plus one squadron ( 12 Squadron ) assigned to " SACLANT " for maritime strike duties . Opportunities for Buccaneer squadrons to engage in realistic training were limited , and so when the US began their Red Flag military exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in 1975 , the RAF became keenly interested . The first Red Flag in which RAF aircraft were involved was in 1977 , with 10 Buccaneers and two Avro Vulcan bombers participating . Buccaneers would be involved in later Red Flags through to 1983 , and in 1979 also participated in the similar Maple Flag exercise over Canada . The Buccaneer proved impressive with its fast low - level attacks , which were highly accurate despite the aircraft ' s lack of terrain - following radar and other modern avionics . They were able to penetrate adversary defences , and were credited with " kills " on defending fighters using AIM - 9 Sidewinder air - to - air missiles . During the 1980 Red Flag exercises , one of the participating Buccaneers lost a wing in mid - flight due to a fatigue - induced crack and crashed , killing its crew . The entire RAF Buccaneer fleet was grounded in February 1980 , subsequent investigation discovered serious metal fatigue problems to be present on numerous aircraft . A total of 60 aircraft were selected to receive new spar rings while others were scrapped ; the nascent 216 Squadron was subsequently disbanded due to a resulting reduction in aircraft numbers . Later the same year , the UK - based Buccaneer squadrons moved to RAF Lossiemouth . In 1983 , six Buccaneer S . 2s were sent to Cyprus to support British peacekeepers in Lebanon as a part of Operation Pulsator . On 11 September 1983 , two of these aircraft flew low over Beirut , their presence intended to intimidate insurgents rather than inflict damage directly . After 1983 , the land strike duties were mostly re - assigned to the Tornado aircraft then entering service , and two Buccaneer squadrons remaining ( 12 Squadron , and 208 Squadron ) were then assigned to " SACLANT " for maritime strike duties . Only the ' Shadow Squadron ' , No . 237 OCU , remained assigned to the role of land strike on long term assignment to " SACEUR " , No . 237 was also to operate as a designator for Jaguar ground strike aircraft in the event of conflict . The Buccaneer stood down from its reserve nuclear delivery duties in 1991 . The Buccaneer took part in combat operations during the 1991 Gulf War . It had been anticipated that Buccaneers may need to perform in the target designation role , although early on this had been though to be " unlikely " to be called upon . Following a short - notice decision to deploy , the first batch of six aircraft were readied to deploy in under 72 hours , including the adoption of desert camouflage and additional equipment , departing for Lossiemouth for the Middle Eastern theatre early on 26 January 1991 . In theatre , it became common for each attack formation to comprise four Tornados and two Buccaneers ; each Buccaneer carried a single laser designator pod and acted as backup to the other in the event of an equipment malfunction . The first combat mission took place on 2 February , operating at a medium altitude of roughly 18 , 000 feet , and successfully attacked the As Suwaira Road Bridge . Operations continued on practically every available day ; missions did not take place at night as the laser pod lacked night - time functionality . Approximately 20 road bridges were destroyed by Buccaneer - supported missions , restricting the Iraqi Army ' s mobility and communications . In conjunction with the advance of Coalition ground forces into Iraq , Buccaneer strike missions switched to airfield bombing missions , targeting bunkers , runways and any aircraft sighted ; following the guidance of the Tornado ' s laser - guided ordinance , the Buccaneers would commonly conduct dive bombing runs upon remaining targets of opportunity in the vicinity before . In one incident on the 21 February 1991 , a pair of Buccaneers destroyed two Iraqi transport aircraft on the ground at the Shayka Mazhar airfield . The Buccaneers flew 218 missions during the Gulf War , in which they designated targets for other aircraft and dropped 48 laser - guided bomb s . Following the war , squadrons operating the Buccaneer were quickly rundown and re - equipped with the Tornado , by mid - 1993 208 Squadron had become the sole remaining operator of the type . The last Buccaneers were withdrawn in March 1994 when 208 Squadron disbanded . South African Air Force . South Africa was the only country other than the UK to operate the Buccaneer , where it was in service with the South African Air Force ( SAAF ) from 1965 to 1991 . In January 1963 , even before the S . 2 entered squadron service , South Africa had purchased 16 Spey - powered Buccaneers . The order was part of the Simonstown Agreement , in which the UK obtained use of the Simonstown naval base in South Africa in exchange for maritime weapons . Of the 16 aircraft ordered , one was lost on its delivery flight , and 15 entered service . Their standard colour scheme was dark grey on top and dark blue on the bottom , with some variation in pattern over time . In the maritime strike role , SAAF Buccaneers were armed with the French radio - guided AS - 30 missile . In March 1971 , Buccaneers fired 12 AS - 30s at a stricken tanker , the " Wafra " , but failed to sink it . The AS - 30 missile was also used in ground attacks for effective precision strikes , one example being in 1981 when multiple missile was used to strike a series of radar stations in southern Angola . For overland attack , the SAAF Buccaneers carried up to four 450 kg ( 1 , 000 lb ) bombs in the rotary bomb bay , and four bombs , flares , or SNEB rocket packs on the underwing stores pylons . During the 1990s , it was revealed that South Africa had manufactured six air - deliverable tactical nuclear weapons between 1978 and 1993 . These nuclear weapons , composing of HEU with an estimated explosion yield of 10 - 18 kilotons , were designed for delivery by either the Buccaneer or the English Electric Canberra bomber . SAAF Buccaneers saw active service during the South Africa Border War , frequently flying over Angola and Namibia and launching attacks upon SWAPO guerilla camps across the 1970s and 1980s . During a ground offensive , Buccaneers would often fly close air support missions armed with anti - personnel rockets , as well as performing bombardment operations . Buccaneers played a major role in the Battle of Cassinga in 1978 , being employed in repeatedly strikes upon armoured vehicles , including enemy tanks , and to cover the withdrawal of friendly ground forces from the combat zone . Others . Early in the Buccaneer programme , the US Navy had expressed mild interest in the aircraft , but quickly moved on to the development of their comparable Grumman A - 6 Intruder . The West German Navy showed a greater interest and considered replacing their Hawker Sea Hawk s with the type , although they eventually decided on the Lockheed F - 104G for their maritime strike requirement following the bribing of West German government officials in the Lockheed bribery scandals . Operators . Civil operators . Three privately owned Buccaneers located at Thunder City in Cape Town are still airworthy in 2009 . Survivors . In the United Kingdom Buccaneer S . 2 " XX885 " is being rebuilt to flying condition by Hawker Hunter Aviation . It was granted UK CAA permission to fly in April 2006 . A number of Buccaneers in the UK are in fast taxiing condition and several more are being rebuilt to taxiing condition .