However.... I would say his main mistake is focussing on South Atlantic scenarios. The key issue is, of course, not letting the Argentines invade.
But it does seem a bit rich that many (here and elsewhere) criticise anyone not 100% up to date with RAF aircraft and equipment, when these same people happily shout down arguments about the skills needed for carrier operations. RAF units have flown from carriers very successfully, however, it is the RN that has
operated the carriers. It is the ships company of a CVS that have made it possible for the embarked aircraft to do their stuff. Yet many posters insist in looking at this in a
totally light blue/pilot centric way. Even this ignores the fact that it is also true that an airfield ashore only works because of lots of jobs being done by different people.
Many naval aviators who have written books be it Sharkey Ward in
Sea Harrier Over The Falklands, Nick Richardson in
No Escape Zone, or the late John B Nichols (USN F8 driver in Vietnam) in
On Yankee Station, take the time to mention the involvement of the carrier crew. We know that the First Sea Lord (an ax Captain of
Illustrious when she was operating in the Gulf and during the Sierra Leone intervention) also tried to inform the Prime Minister pre SDSR - but did the PM also receive advice that "it's only a floating airfield" and decide that this was more to his liking?
I will not repeat or quote my comments again in case anyone has another hissy fit or starts to think that I have OCD or anything like that. Suffice to say, newcomers to this thread should be able to find the right posts and links (such as
this one) easily enough.
Just out of interest, what is the plan for when
Charles De Gaulle has to return to port? She cannot stay on station forever.