orca
The pickle for the OCA in this case is that they couldn't go in at medium level against the Sea Dart threat which would force them low, into the AAA and Sea Wolf MEZ, that those brave strikers were having such a hard time with
Ah, this is an intelligence issue.
The strikers have to penetrate the FEZ and MEZ but OCA does not need to penetrate the MEZ in order to achieve OCA. They can achieve this by engaging the enemy air within the FEZ.
The real issue is where is the MEZ/FEZ.
Clearly the shorad with Rapier and Sea Wolf was in the SC Waters but the position of the SD MEZ would be the unknown. Therein would lie the problem for the fighters.