Lear Jet, C-130 or Canberra - any such aircraft operating in the area would have been dealt with according to the prevailing Rules of Engagement - Cdr Ward would quite rightly have followed such RoE without question.
That the Argentinians sent such crews to their doom is a question for them to consider - the SHAR pilots acted quite correctly. It cannot have been much fun to shoot down a C-130 but, as has been said before, the aircraft were known to have been operated in a bombing role and it was entirely possible that this aircraft was being operated in a similar manner.
Edit: While I might criticise Cdr Ward for some of his more recent website comments, I have nothing but praise for his bravery and professionalism during the 1982 South Atlantic War. Single engine, single seat and $od all fuel in the vile weather down there - that took some doing!
Last edited by BEagle; 8th Jul 2013 at 17:42.