British Military Aviation in 1995

30 January
The first McDonnell Douglas/BAe Harrier T10 is delivered to the Royal
Air Force.

4 April
The Armed Forces Minister, Nicholas Soames, announces in the House of
Commons that the WE177 free-fall nuclear weapon will be withdrawn from
operational service in 1998.

27 June
Two Westland Wessex helicopters of No.84 Squadron, RAF Akrotiri, help
to fight the biggest fire in Cyprus for 100 years. The helicopters fly
firebombing sorties using ‘rainmaker’ buckets, delivering 80,000 gallons
of water in a period of 43 hours.

1 August
Twelve British Aerospace (BAe) Harriers of No.4 Squadron RAF, deployed
to Gioia del Colle in Italy, undertake ground attack and reconnaissance
tasks as part of Operation Deny Flight.

30 August

Operation Deliberate Force: NATO forces commence air operations in support of the
United Nations Protection Force, with the task of protecting the Sarajevo
Safe Area. Combat operations are later suspended on 14 September 1995.
During that period, Royal Air Force aircraft fly 268 missions and drop
thirty-two 1,000 pound bombs and forty-eight laser guided bombs during
attacks on twenty-two targets.

16 October
The Royal Navy’s helicopter carrier HMS Ocean is launched on the Clyde.

26 October
The last of the Royal Air Force’s thirteen Harrier T10 two-seat trainers
is delivered.

December
Operation Lodestar: three Boeing Chinooks of the Royal Air Force (RAF)
join two Westland Sea Kings of the Royal Navy to form the Support Helicopter
Force (SHF) at Divulje Barracks, near Split in Croatia. The SHF is formed
to assist the British-led Multi-National Division, tasked with implementing
the Dayton Peace Accord.