GR3s use of On-Board Laser for PW2 designation
Deliverance
The RAF GR3s did indeed try to use their own onboard YAG ranging Laser as a target designator for extreme Hi-Dive attacks on PSA, using VIFF to remain clear of SAMs and AAA. At that stage of the war the priority was to get deep-penetration bombs on to the PSA runway, which of course our ground forces could not mark with their LTMs because they were too far away. We had received the first PW2s in theatre and were trying to get some value out of them as soon as possible. No GR3 pilot in theatre had used PW2 before, (or flown loft bombing profiles).
We had been advised (by CTTO) a few months earlier that in emergency we could use our own on-board laser to designate for PW2. After several unsuccessful attempts had been made we were advised from UK that our LRMTS was “not compatible” with the bombs we were using. By then several attacks had been made on PSA, with no observable results.
The full story is in RAF Harrier Ground Attack Falklands, by Jerry Pook