Today is 25 years on from the main landings in the Falklands. High sortie rates were achieved from
Hermes and
Invincible. A number of frigates and destroyers escorting the landing force were attacked by Argentine aircraft, with
Ardent being lost, and a number of ships damaged with two men killed in
Argonaut and damage and injuries in other ships.
Fifeteen Argentine aircraft were downed, some by the guns and missiles of the ships in San Carlos Water, others by Sea Harriers. Without the carriers the landings could not have taken place.
Those who forget history..........
In far more recent news, HMS
Ocean has recently siezed a large quantity of cocaine in the Carribean as described
on the MOD website.
Having detected a small aircraft flying over the sea, the ship despatched one of its Sea King aircraft fitted with state of the art surveillance radar to investigate. The helicopter, from 854 Naval Air Squadron based in Culdrose, Cornwall, tracked the aircraft and called in the support of a Merlin aircraft from the ship together with a US Customs and Border Protection aircraft.
When the plans to
axe the Sea Jet prematurely were announced, I assumed that 849 (as they were until December) would be the next for the chop. I failed to realise what a capable and versatile asset the Sea King ASaCs Sea King was/is, as has been proved by subsequent events. MASC should be even better.