Things like this make me wish I’d been born 30 years earlier so my RAF career would’ve been more fun...
Back in the days when the Vulcan was cutting edge kit, the USA built a national air defence system against the threat of a large scale USSR bombing raid with nukes. The best early warning system they could build, blanketing the country and quite some way out from it. More than a thousand interceptors ready to go. The whole nine yards. So they decided to test it. All civilian aircraft over the entire USA grounded for the duration of the test. It was a big deal. Loads of USAF planes playing the role of incoming Soviet aircraft. Catch me if you can...and they did. Almost every USAF plane playing the role of incoming Soviet aircraft was detected and intercepted. It was a
very good national air defence system. The USA had all the tech and oodles of money and the will to spend it.
The USA invited the UK to take part too, so the RAF sent 8 Vulcans to play the role of incoming Soviet bombers. 7 of the 8 got through the air defence system and flew over major USA cities in what could have been a run to drop nukes, had they actually been enemy planes and not allied planes on an exercise. Oh dear, not a good result for the air defence system.
A couple of years later, the USA air defence shield had been upgraded and an even bigger test was done. And once again 7 of the 8 Vulcans got through the air defence system and flew over major USA cities in what could have been a run to drop nukes, had they actually been enemy planes.
Everyone agreed that this was something that would not be talked about, at all
The USA public was told that the test was a huge success and the involvement of the RAF was never mentioned. It was declassified 50 years later.
I'm sure it was fun for the RAF people involved. Winning a contest against a top tier opponent is usually a lot of fun.