What if Eagle Claw succeeded?
 

An American classmate (mature student in his late 40s ex USAF HC-130/AC-130 mech) during my Uni years in late 90s, took part in Eagle Claw. However he was left behind in Egypt with several others as their a/c went east.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...SucrmkQnXCOwDQ

I understand there were plans afterwards called Honey Badger that would involve the 82nd or 101st Abn Div then new UH-60A Blackhawk en masse to rescue the hostages etc .

cheers

Operation HONEY BADGER was also what the astounding CREDIBLE SPORT "XFC-130Hs" (YMC-130Hs?) were being developed for.

The last bit wasn't in the script.

Does tend to go against the old adage that ‘if you can use the aircraft again it’s a great landing’.

Good documentary with political background and the raid itself .. includes President Carter! Documentary about development of Credible Sport

Throughout 1980 Carter saw his healthy poll lead over Reagan narrow, to the point where it was neck and neck by September. In the end Reagan had a landslide electoral college victory, but secured just over 50% of the popular vote.

Had Eagle Claw succeeded, it may have tipped the balance on the back of relief and national pride in the US and Carter could have had another 4 years. The impact of that … across the pond in Europe; No Thatcher/Reagan axis for a start. Would Maggie have been quite so bold without that supporting voice in her ear?

JAS

A postscript to the operation and the RAF’s participation... ;)

When announced in the news in the USA what had happened, several engineers were at Boeing helicopters doing their Chinook courses, including those due to become RAF instructors for the Chinook ground school back at Odiham. The locals reading in the papers about the attack and seeing RAF ground crew at Boeing wrongly put two and two together to make five and wouldn’t believe their denial that the were simply on courses and not involved in the whole exercise. :)

Ive not reread it but seem the remember it was all a bit of a screw up, air filters arriving but not being installed and engineers who were not CH-53 qualified being sent to maintain them because the were after all helicopter engineers and available.

That's a great article.
But even with minimal opposition, I can't possibly see how they would have got into Tehran itself without being busted, or gotten everyone out of the embassy without a nasty firefight.