Sth Atlantic airfields.

WI there was an airfield on one of the British Islands in the Sth Atlantic by 1982, even one as short (4100m) as Stanley in the Falklands? There has been a Sth African weather team on Gough since 1956 and St Helena and Tristan de Cunha have small resident populations which may cause one to be built. May we have seen Tornado strikes supported by Hercules tankers, or perhaps a para drop of a btn?
 
I don't think the RAF ever used Hercules in the tanker role. They used Victors in 1982, maybe some VC10s. Later they used Tristars as well, but I don't think in 1982.

Airfields on those islands are still too far away to be much use anyway.

It's also a bit early for a Tornado strike. I think about 1 year after the Falklands they did their first long level practice strike - single Tornado, from UK to Cyprus, supported by tankers.

Seeing as most of the British paratroops were in the ships of the assault wave, a paradrop is rather pointless if not impossible. In OTL, some individual officers who were left behind in UK or Cyprus, did paradrop into the sea to reach the task force however - wear a survival suit, and you have about 2 minutes for a helicopter to pick you up, or you're dead.

If you want a paradrop in the Falklands, a more likely one is an Argentine one on San Carlos. Fear of this was why 40 commando was left there. Rapiers and sea dart, would however have inflicted heavy losses on the Argentine transports even before they dropped.

If you want RAF fast jets strike, the most likely option seems to be Buccaneers. When on Ark Royal, they had a buddy refueling capability, and so this, either Buccaneers refueling each other, or getting fuel from Victors/VC-10s is most likely I think.
 

Moglwi

Monthly Donor
One way to get a para drop would be to use the spearhead battalion instead of sending the paras. But even with a Airfeild in the South Atlantic island we haad the Airlift to do the misssion and any other task the RAF have to do.
 
I don't think the RAF ever used Hercules in the tanker role. They used Victors in 1982, maybe some VC10s. Later they used Tristars as well, but I don't think in 1982.

It's also a bit early for a Tornado strike. I think about 1 year after the Falklands they did their first long level practice strike - single Tornado, from UK to Cyprus, supported by tankers.

3 or 4 Hercules were converted to the tanker role, caused problems when refuelling jet aircraft, solved by going into a dive during the refuelling.

Interesting information on the Tornado Cypres flight on this Buccaneer website

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/Pages1_files/Replacement_Index.html

In 1983 a marketing exercise took place where a Tornado did a non-stop sortie to Cyprus and back. It was accompanied by a Victor and Buccaneer tanker. When the Victor dropped into Italy to refuel, the Buccaneer was left to give fuel to the Tornado to get it down the Mediterranean to Akrotiri, Cyprus and back to Italy. The Buccaneer had to slow down for the Tornado! If the Tornado had cruised at the normal speed of the Buccaneer it would have run out of fuel. At Akrotiri spare Buccaneer tankers were on standby, just in case of problems. When the Tornado overflew Akrotiri all it's stations carried fuel tanks. The Buccaneer still had spare wing stations. The RAF Personel had been instructed not to tell anyone of the purpose of the Detachment. (However the day after the flight there was a photo and article in the Daily Telegraph about how far the Tornado had flown in a single sortie - luckily for the Government the true logistical facts were never admitted at the time!).
 
Maybe Buccs could do a strike, perhaps they could have a go at 25 De Mayo before she scuttled back to port.
 
wear a survival suit, and you have about 2 minutes for a helicopter to pick you up, or you're dead.

QUOTE]

Up to 6 hours, actually. Thats how long you get in the North Sea in winter, which gets remarkably chilly....the SA isnt much colder, we arent in the arctic here.
 
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