Good on you LJ, all great stuff. Of course a Sea Harrier could always carry bombs back to a shore base if needed, just like everyone else. Absolutely certain the 2 bomb SCL was never used in that particular theatre, although I am equally certain it was a declared config because the fit was launch-able and available if called upon.
If you remember when NR had his ejection event you will also remember that was on the third 6 month deployment of a RN carrier to the Adriatic and around 16 months into NATO participation. Mig 29s were not anticipated at that point, and Sea Harriers had been successfully operating various roles for at least the full 6 month deployment of the Invincible air group prior to 801's second arrival. Not sure where your excerpt comes from, but everyone who has read NR's book must know that it was enhanced in a historical sense to make it seem as though 801 were arriving on station as if they had been scrambled to war. This was simply not the case. The training 801 underwent en route was standard pre-operational routine by the time of the second arrival of Ark in the Adriatic theatre. And whilst things were increasingly hostile in a ground sense, the threat was familiar and very much stabilised in the air. The lesson learned by everyone with regards to the shoot down was the age old one about re-attacking alerted targets...and that lesson has absolutely nothing to do with the aircraft type or the nature of its basing.
ICBM, your point is very well made. At the beginning and the end of the story, it is admirals who put up Fleet Air Arm assets as costs savings measures, and it is former destroyer captains who generally become admirals. As they have dark ops rooms with big missile "fire" buttons, they often like to think they might get by without fighters. How many times did we hear Freddie say, "Haul off! Bird target!" In most instances this was not a wise call. Having said that, have you noticed ship's captains always like to keep helicopters? Because helos carry potatoes and mail!
