They didn’t wear the maroon beret,they had grey ones. It’s a great what if though. There was also 2nd mechanised commando and the Grenadier Company also capable of small unit and raiding operations, if you fancy increasing the numbers,
One scheme looked for U.K. air defence, in addition to the F15A which was closely examined was a conversion to the Vulcan mounting an air search radar that would have made Vulcan look like it had the biggest wart!
I’d stick with the Hornet as is, except for the radar (Blue Vixen), obviously British comms, and ordnance. Not sure about changing the gun as it’s not really that vital and maybe too much of a faff to bother? Although there is the possibility of 25mm Aden if you must? I would consider the RF18...
Invincible still sold to Australia, illustrious commissoned as planned, Indomnitable (Ark Royals original name) modified (as they were designed as such) as commando carrier (Illustrious following on later), Hermes sold to India. Two new redesigned CVA01s ordered with Eagle eventually...
I did say IF....I think we all know nowt would happen. After all OTL the RN didn’t get two replacement air defence ships, they got the type 22s they’d have probably got anyway.
The RN IF it had got a CTOL carrier (a mark 2 CVA01 as it were), by say 1988/89 then it undoubtedly would have been Hornets all round. Rafael and Typhoon are too far away, Tomcat just isn’t happening, reconditioned Phantoms would also be likely but not for long and two carriers is probably the...
Do remember that the Argentine AAVs weren't the uparmoured AAV7 but in fact the very baseline LVTP7 with not very thick armour. All had returned to the mainland, well before the arrival of HM Forces (along as said with a lot of the initial landing force). 5th marines were indeed one of the best...
The CVR can be topped by its ancestor the Tetrarch. During airborne tests of an interesting nature, one driver found himself finding out what 100mph on tracks was like!
The US army publication Armor did have a thesis in creating such a force back in the 1970s/early 80s using the British CVR series as a basis, pretty much how the Soviets were using their BMDs. So the grunts would have had Spartans, backed up by more Spartans with TOW, Scorpion CVR with their...
HMS Warrior, oh I don’t know maybe hanging around a lot further west than Portsmouth, maybe around 1861 ish and maybe mistaken identities and mistakes made? Or has that been done already?
How’s about Theseus, Ocean and Glory being converted in 1959 to either ASW helicopter carriers OR as Sea Slug command cruisers? They could’ve easily made it through to about 1989 as ASW carriers and probably early 80s in the other guise.