How many Vulcans were converted for maritime reconnaissance?

Short answer

Nine. In the mid-1970s, nine Vulcan B.2s were adapted for radar maritime reconnaissance missions and redesignated B.2 (MRR). They were operated by No. 27 Squadron, reformed at Scampton in November 1973 to replace No. 543 Squadron's Victor SR.2s.

Published: October 22, 2026 · Updated: October 22, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How many Vulcans were converted for maritime reconnaissance?

Avro Vulcan SR 2 (B 2 MRR) XH534 of No. 27 Squadron RAF, 1977RuthAS (CC BY), vía commons

From Bomber to Maritime Patroller

In the mid-1970s the RAF found a new job for some of its Vulcans. Nine B.2s were modified for radar maritime reconnaissance missions and redesignated B.2 (MRR).

No. 27 Squadron

The unit tasked with the role was No. 27 Squadron. In November 1973, ahead of the planned disbandment of No. 543 Squadron, which flew the Victor SR.2, No. 27 Squadron reformed at RAF Scampton with the Vulcan to replace it in radar maritime reconnaissance. The squadron patrolled the seas around the British Isles, a very different task from the one the aircraft had been designed for. According to the operator list, No. 27 Squadron flew the B.2 (MRR) from 1973 to 1982.

Changes to the Aircraft

The B.2 (MRR)s also received the LORAN C navigation system, useful for long patrols over the sea. They also stood out visually: they carried a paint scheme similar to that of other B.2s of the period, but in gloss finish instead of matte, and the front half of the radomes was no longer painted black.

It was one of the last uses of the Vulcan before its retirement. In its final years, another six aircraft were converted into K.2 tankers for air-to-air refueling, and the RAF retired the type for good in 1984.

The aircraft originated from the British Ministry of Supply's B.35/46 specification. The first prototype flew on 30 August 1952, and the RAF received its first Vulcan B.1 in September 1956. Deliveries of the much-improved Vulcan B.2 began in 1960, and the last example reached the RAF in January 1965.