Falklands war experiment

[+dtmdragon]

I recently read a book about how in 1972 Buccaneers aboard HMS Ark Royal (R09) took part in a long range strike mission over British Hondura shortly before its independence to deter a possible Guatemalan invasion. The book also discussed the negative effects on the UK’s naval power with the scrapping of the Ark Royal and Eagle along with their conventional fixed-wing aircraft.

 

So I thought to myself “I wonder how differently the Falklands campaign would have gone if the HMS Ark Royal (R09) and HMS Eagle (R05) had remained in service with thier Phantoms and Buccaneers?”

 

So I decided to modify the Falklands Mod from here at CombatAce to use the HMS Ark Royal (R09) and HMS Eagle (R05) instead of the Hermes and Invincible.

 

I replaced the Sea Harriers and GR.3 Harriers with F-4K Phantoms and S.2D Buccaneers. Because of the time that had elapsed from when these aircraft were withdrawn from Royal Navy Service and the Falklands war I updated them to the same standards as RAF Phantoms and Buccaneers were in 1982 including weapons capability.

 

The difference was both obvious and devastating! The Phantoms absolutely dominated the air and gained complete air superiority with the use of BVR missiles and high speed intercepts. The all weather Buccaneers with their radar and larger weapons carriage were able to hit the Argentine forces on the island twice as hard as the Harries could. Their ECM pods and upgraded countermeasures/ RWR also gave them a higher survivability rate.

 

The campaign was noticeably easier to complete and win than with the V/STOL carriers and aircraft. I wonder if Argentina would have thought again in 1982 if it knew it was going to be up against a conventional carrier force and air wing?

Edited July 16, 2013 by dtmdragon

[+JonathanRL]

One of the reasons the Argentines thought the invasion feasible was because the UKs decision to scrap those assets, as well as several vessels well suited to South Atlantic climates.

Edited July 16, 2013 by JonathanRL

[Slartibartfast]

As has been said the Argentine's would never had chanced the possibility of an invasion if the UK had maintained a full carrier, even one full carrier and a Herme's or even the CVA01 which would have also carried AEW as well in the shape of a Gannet or even Hawkeye's with F-4's and Bucc's would have destroyed the Argentinan Navy with ease and then following it up with a very effective Air Embargo placing a pair of F-4's with a Buccaneer Tanker with AWAC Support would have made sure that no C-130's etc would have got through at night and as for the attacks on Falklands sound they would have been destroyed as well. For the UK it would have been all win for the Argentine's it would have been all lose...

[SayethWhaaaa]

The utterly atrocious weather would have had a marked effect on conventional carrier ops-- ie, in many circumstances the FAA/RAF faced in 1982, it wouldn't have even been possible. That's part of the reason the V/STOL platform proved so effective. The RN would have had to operate their carriers at a much greater distance to avoid some of the awful conditions, but it probably wouldn't result in that much of a difference in your experiment except for longer transit times, longer loiter times for strike and CAS packages and some more IFR. Though what would have been the AIM-7s used by the Phantoms? I thought I read (somewhere) that AIM-7Es lost much of their effectiveness in poor weather conditions.

[MigBuster]

Skyflash could have been available by then.

[bcyc]

I did a similar (and HIGHLY fictional) experiment on my Falklands install involving an ANZAC carrier force. Find it here (apologies for the awful lighting on the screenshots): http://combatace.com/topic/75073-anzacs-over-the-falklands/

Edited July 16, 2013 by bcyc

[+dtmdragon]

Yes I armed the Royal Navy F-4K Phantom with Skyflash missiles as RAF Phantoms were using them in 1982 and I updated the Royal Navy F-4K Phantoms to the same standard as the RAF Phantoms were in 1982

[SayethWhaaaa]

Oh yeah,,, Skyflash. Embarrassing.