CATOBAR Centaurs at the Falklands

I don't think Harriers can operate from a CATOBAR deck-at least not with a full combat load.
Why not? The USMC operates Harriers everyday with combat loads without ski jump.

And I don't understand your note on CATOBAR limitations for the Harriers. Just don't use the CATOBAR kit. For example, here are RN Harriers operating from CATOBAR carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).

6097e64a4af345200b3382ef8493b2e7.jpg
 
Last edited:
The USN and USMC initially did Harrier at sea concept development onboard USS Franklin Roosevelt. She took aboard VMA-231 for her last deployment in 1976 and 1977.
 
Hermes and Bulwark are Sea Vixen capable, but ASW focused.
Although ASW focused Hermes and Bulwark will still need flights of fighters for the anti-shadower role. That is the gap the Sea Harrier was bought to fill IOTL.

You have written that the Sea Harrier was not developed ITTL. With your 2 carriers retaining their CATOBAR capability the obvious choice is to give each of them a flight of 4 Sea Vixens but rotate the scores of these aircraft that are available aircraft through those flights so that they take a long time to wear out and wear out at the same time. Use the money spent on the first 34 Sea Harriers of OTL on an upgrade to F Mk 3 standard which enables them to fire Sparrow or Sky Flash instead of Red Tops. Although they don't have a gun they do have a pair of retractable pods containing fourteen 2" rockets in the front-fuselage.

When the Falklands War breaks out enough Sea Vixens are in the training flight at Yeovilton and the storage units to expand the flights into full size squadrons.
 
Why not? The USMC operates Harriers everyday with combat loads without ski jump.

And I don't understand your note on CATOBAR limitations for the Harriers. Just don't use the CATOBAR kit. For example, here are RN Harriers operating from CATOBAR carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).

6097e64a4af345200b3382ef8493b2e7.jpg
But without ski-jumps the Harriers operating from Hermes et al will be carrying smaller payloads.

The American super carriers, LHAs and LHDs have much longer flight decks than the above making ski-jumps unnecessary because longer take off runs are possible.
 
Use the money spent on the first 34 Sea Harriers of OTL on an upgrade to F Mk 3 standard which enables them to fire Sparrow or Sky Flash instead of Red Tops. Although they don't have a gun they do have a pair of retractable pods containing fourteen 2" rockets in the front-fuselage.
Sounds like a good plan.

With Gannet AEW in play, the Sea Vixens should be able to be at the right altitude and place to counter their power/weight deficits and thus intercept Argentine fighters, Skyhawks and Super Etendards.

My thinking is with only two old and small CATOBAR carriers focused on ASW, plus one LHA (Albion), the same impression that Britain doesn't care about, nor can protect the Falklands should still be in place in Buenos Aires. By the time that impression is shattered, Hermes and Bulwark are enroute with Sea Vixen, Buccaneers, plus Gannet AEW, while Albion is packed with RAF Harriers, plus Chinooks, etc, plus many RMs.

Sea Vixens can escort the Black Buck missions, assuming with the Buccaneers in play they're still necessary.

5921726864_6e7a0d4100_b.jpg
 
Top