I still maintain that they were fully aware of the aircraft we had on the ground at Ascension and feel it might be wishful thinking to assume there were lots of sleepless nights worrying about an alleged long range bomber attack.
If all the tanker force were observed lifting off then an estimated time of arrival could be assumed and would we then assume a suitable defensive action be taken. We might have contained their warships in their home ports but that does not stop them from using all their electronic equipment to help detect aircraft entering their airspace although some equipment might have got the local residents complaining!
and you have to keep the radar switched on - which makes identifying it for Harrier strikes all that much easier
If only they did, then would the Shrike missions have been more successful?