Originally Posted by
Tombstone
Sharky Ward is a one man band according to his book.
It is true that the SHAR/GR3 guys could have had a pop at the runway however, they would have had to fly within the SAM & AAA umbrella.
The Flag Commander did not appreciate the usefulness of the SHAR's radar and as a result, he ordered them to be used in a manner which became very airframe & pilot intensive, reducing their availability for mud moving jobs.
I think the main issue in terms of why we used the Vulcan is simple & Sharky Ward did not get it at all. The political message passed from the British government to the Argentine leaders, via the Black Buck missions was one of capability and will to attack the mainland if required.
The message certainly got through & the Argie air defence fleet was deployed in a manner that protected the mainland but offered little cover over the Falklands.
Irrespective of the whys, the therefores, the should haves etc etc that continue to surround this sortie nearly 25 years after the event. I, for one who was down there at the time, would like to say the message it gave out within the Task Group was well worth its weight in gold. Political or not I look back on it as a great feat of airmanship and just one of a series of occurrences that contributed to the positive end of the conflict.
Please feel free, however, to continue bickering.
SJ