Handley Page Victor K.2

The Handley Page Victor was a British strategic bomber developed and produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company to carry Britain's nuclear deterrent during the Cold War. However, it's most significant operational role came as an in-flight refueling tanker later in its service history.

In 1969 the Royal Navy took over responsibility for providing the UK's nuclear deterrent with the introduction of the Polaris missile. The RAF's V-Bomber fleet had already begun to be repurposed, with Victor's being converted to in-flight refuelling tankers in 1965. Victors carried out all of the refuelling tasks during the Falklands Conflict of 1982, a vital contribution to operations that could not be delivered by any other British asset. They are one of the unsung heroes of the campaign. The RAF Museum's Victor, XH672, flew on the first two Black Buck missions during the Falklands Conflict, and provided cover on two more. It also covered Nimrod operations from Ascension Island, and covered the transition of GR.3s to the combat theatre. In the Gulf War of 1991, the Victor fleet made 299 in-flight refuelling sorties, with XH672 contributing the most with 52. The fleet was retired in 1993.