Video: How the UK QRA responded to Soviet intruders at the times of the Phantom

Here’s UK Quick Reaction Alert in the 1970s.

Last week, UK’s air defense was once again put to the test by two Russian strategic bombers that flew off Cornwall during a routine long-range patrol over northern Europe.

The two Bear H aircraft were intercepted and shadowed by two Royal Air Force Typhoons: a pretty standard practice since the Cold War, in the UK and the rest of Europe.

The following footage, shows the UK QRA, Quick Reaction Alert, at work against possible Soviet threat 45 years ago.

At that time, the Royal Air Force interceptor was the mighty F-4 Phantom.

According to the user who uploaded the footage to Youtube, the video shows scenes shot RAF Wattisham, involving the Southern QRA. A commenter says the footage comes from a RAF recruiting film titled “Intercept” which was filmed at several locations across the British Isles to cover the whole UK Air Defence System and RAF units that supported it.

Anyway, enjoy a few minutes of cool Phantom Phootage!

 Image credit: Crown Copyright

H/T Andrew Jacklin for the heads-up

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About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.