American Couple Reacts: Falklands Conflict in the Air | How British Harriers & Skill-Beat The Odds!

American Couple Reacts: Falklands Conflict in the Air | How British Harriers & Skill-Beat The Odds! One year ago today we had our first look into the Falklands Conflict. We were really surprised because we were both so young when it happened. (Natasha was literally in diapers) This video goes through an overview of the conflict between the UK & Argentina. But it really dives into the Air Battle! We had no idea that the British were at such a large disadvantage and yet those incredible Vulcans, Sea Harriers and Helicopters were more than effective! Numbers don't always matter when the British Military itself was much more skilled. This is very informative and we do plan to look into this in further episodes. Thank you to ALL that serve and have served! We appreciate you more than you know! Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support! *More Links below...
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[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

One year ago today we had our first look into the Falklands Conflict. We were really surprised because we were both so young when it happened. (Natasha was literally in diapers) This video goes through an overview of the conflict between the UK & Argentina. But it really dives into the Air Battle! We had no idea that the British were at such a large disadvantage and yet those incredible Vulcans, Sea Harriers and Helicopters were more than effective! Numbers don't always matter when the British Military itself was much more skilled. This is very informative and we do plan to look into this in further episodes. Thank you to ALL that serve and have served! We appreciate you more than you know! Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!

[@clivenewman4810]

If you haven't done so already, check out the story of the Victoria Cross.

[@tonyhill7139]

The British Harrier was the first Vertical takeoff jet in service…

[@Muck006]

The "General Belgrano" was originally a cruiser of the US Navy in WWII ... and the argentinians called it "a Battleship" ... which it wasnt. P.S.: You should watch the double episode of Top Gear to "terra del Fuego" ... where the Belgrano was stationed ... to understand that certain argentinians are still sour grapes over their loss and havent accepted it at all. They also have ZERO sense of humor.

[@aking-plums6985]

A civil version of the Westland Wessex (the MK60 was made to look like a H-34) stared in the movie Full Metal Jacket.

[@paulcrowley8587]

I was a Territorial at the time in air despatch. The regulars left just one crew behind in the UK. We hoped to be called up, but no it did not happen. It was my only likely opportunity to go to war in the 15 years I served. Chile was our only friend at the time kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXW5qmZ6Z8qaoqc They were the people that had Argentina as an enemy The US backed Argentina. The US is only concerned with US interests

[@josiejo-fh4ep]

My Dad was an officer in the RAF and served during the Falklands war. He passed away a week ago and we have been going through his things and have found a complete set of Falklands money, stamps and lots of other bits. So very proud of him ❤

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

God bless him and you. Our sincere condolences for your massive loss

[@helenwood8482]

So sorry. ❤

[@sarahwaterfield1428]

I'm very sorry for your loss. My Dad was a tank driver in WWII. He passed many years ago and its the pride in him that's helped me. I hope you get strength from remembering how he helped his country. RIP x

[@rcormie]

So sorry to hear of your dads passing. My thoughts and Prayers are with you and your family at this sad time. Per Ardua ad Astra. From a fellow RAF Officer

[@matt-fh6hb]

From one forces family to another, lest we forget. RIP.

[@bmused55]

Interesting fact: That sole surviving Chinook operated for months without spare parts. It just kept on going. Her call sign was "Bravo November" during the Falklands conflict. A call sign that would forever be associated to her thanks to her service. She only survived the sinking of the Atlantic Conveyor because she happened to be air borne at the moment the exocet hit the ship. Later, that same Chinook was stationed in Afghanistan and no fewer than 4 of her pilots were awarded DFCs (Distinguished Flying Cross) in her time there. She took pounding after pounding in Afghanistan but like she did in the Falkands, she just kept going. Bravo November is now retired and preserved in the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford. A well deserved and fitting stand down from duty.

[@CONCORDE444]

yep, great Doc done about her by Mike Brewer of wheeler dealers.

[@TheBoss0405]

Don’t forget that the SAS stole an enemy chinook to supply repair parts in 1982!

[@bmused55]

@@TheBoss0405 They "acquired" an abandoned vehicle ;)

[@TheBoss0405]

@@bmused55 Ok, I can agree to that. 😂

[@joshuadennis6895]

They Strategically Transferred Equipment to an Alternate location​ @@bmused55

[@andrewbrown1712]

The Harrier jump jet was the first VTOL jet; a British invention later licenced to the US.

[@chrissouthgate4554]

There was a Kestrel first, a smaller prototype Harrier. It was operated by the Triparted Squadron Consisting of French, German & British crews. Only the British decided to carry on with the development into the Harrier. Later a Marine Corps pilot got a look at a Harrier 7 theirs became the AV8B

[@p38arover22]

The first VSTOL was the British Hawker P1127 which first flew in November 1960. It was, of course, the predecessor of the Hawker Harrier.

[@wasp6594]

​@@p38arover22I was stationed at RAF Wildenrath in the sixties and saw the Hawker P1127 being tested at the small airfield at the RAF Wegburg hospital.

[@davidmault922]

Served on a Harrier unit in the 70's and it was the first vertical take off jet in the world and I had the opportunity of flying in a 2 seater on our squadron, I will never forget hovering above the airfield and thinking remember this because you will never have this experience again

[@expressoevangelism80]

Our phenomenal RAF have always seemed to have played well above themselves. When you consider their achievements throughout the Battle of Britain you just have to acknowledge their intelligent use of their limited resources. It obviously still confirmed itself as strong contenders 40 years later. As much as I hate everything about war, Britain would not be who it is without the phenomenal use of their armed forces, when used for the protection of it’s people and the lands under it’s jurisdiction. I’m aware as to how that could be argued from another angle, but the whole point about your sight is in recognition of the brilliance of the management our little island.

[@RMVDog]

Ex-Harrier pilot here, thanks for the love and respect. Just for the record, the AIM9L Sidewinder was not a determining factor, most engagements were carried out within operating parameters that the AIM9G was capable of. Yes, Natasha - the Harrier is both cool and awesome, both to fly and look at!

[@emilyalice1]

Every other comment here is irrelevant. TY for your service. Harrier Pilots are amazing.

[@RMVDog]

@@emilyalice1 Thank you very much.

[@MrMairu555]

I was only 11 when this happened. Two uncles were Royal Marines, and about 20 years ago found out a mate's step father took the order to "fix bayonets" on Mount Longdon. I am immensely proud of all of our armed forces. Thank you. Both my grandfathers served in WWII too; one went ashore at Arrowmanches on D-Day, the other was in the far East, and ended up a PoW. (In Thailand or Burma, not sure which, as he'd never talk about it.)

[@RMVDog]

@@MrMairu555 our ground troops were the real heroes of the campaign. Proud to have served alongside such men.

[@goldenbypass6644]

Can you explain it you can radar slave aim9g in reaal life?

[@christensausby-hindley5770]

We met Simon Weston last week. He is an amazing and inspirational man. The documentaries about his recovery I remember watching as a child

[@101steel4]

Remember it well. I can still remember his screams 😦😦😦

[@geoffg1696]

Seeing this brought back some sad memories as i was in 2 Para and was in the Falklands, our boys did one hell of a job.

[@leftmono1016]

Massive respect.

[@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5]

Thank you for everything you have done.

[@RMVDog]

@@geoffg1696 yes, we/they did. Hope you are well, para.

[@StephMcAlea]

The Black Buck raid was our Doolittle Raid. The British diplomat to Buenos Aires called up his Argentine counterpart and just said "We can reach out and touch you." and hung up.

[@Maedhros0Bajar]

That is a very good comparison for sure.

[@wildwine6400]

I dunno if its been mentioned to you, but possibly the most famous British soldier from the Falklands War is a veteran called Simon Weston. He was very badly burned when the ship he was on was bombed. The ship was carrying phosphorus and loads of fuel and ammunition. It was a catastrophy with about 50 deaths and many more injured. He went on to recover, and has done several war related documentaries and is a champion of charities for soldiers, in particular ones involving disfigured soldiers

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Yes, mentioned several times. Haven't been able to find a video at proper length on him

[@wildwine6400]

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow ah ok. There is few old documentaries and mini series on him but they are often round an hour. Most were done in the 80s. One was called Simon's Peace and one was Simon's war. They only exist as VHS rips I think

[@gibson617ajg]

British Para Ian McKay was awarded a Victoria Cross for his actions on Mount Longdon. He's not mentioned quite so much.

[@stevebutterworth60]

I served on Hms Hermes from 78 till 81, she was a normal flat top carrier then, but I can vividly remember the harrier trials . I then served on Hms Intrepid during the conflict , where we received a Harrier on deck. We were also hit by a bomb that fortunately didn't detonate. San Carlos water became known as bomb alley by the crews of the ships.

[@andrew_koala2974]

Group Captain Douglas Robert Bader - CBE - DSO - DFC A ROYAL AIR FORCE flying ace during the Second World War credited with 22 aerial victories. He joined the RAF in 1928 In December 1931 - while attempting some aerobatics - he crashed and lost both his legs. Having been on the brink of death - he recovered - retook flight training - passed his check flights and then requested reactivation as a pilot. After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 - Douglas Bader returned to the RAF and was accepted as a pilot. In August 1941 - Bader baled out over German-occupied France and was captured. Soon afterwards - he met and was befriended by Ad olf Galland - ( for Americans who cannot pronounce Adolph correctly ) Say Ad Olph a prominent German fighter ace. Despite his disability - Bader made a number of escape attempts and was eventually sent to the prisoner-of-war camp at Colditz Castle. He remained there until April 1945 when the camp was liberated by the First UNITED STATES ARMY

[@GiddeeAunt]

Yes, Prince Andrew was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands. When the Sir Galahad was hit, the pilots used their helicopters to fly low over the fuel,that was fiercely burning on the sea, and used the downdraft from their blades to help steer the fire away from the sailors swimming for their lives.

[@shaunportlock4924]

Yes,and he was a dick with everyone he met.

[@GiddeeAunt]

@@shaunportlock4924 Did you meet him? If so, and you had the attitude then that you display now, perhaps you deserved it!

[@B-A-L]

​@@shaunportlock4924 So what if he was a dick as long as he did his duty?

[@leonrussell9607]

​@@Chromie2-ph2kzhe's a nonce

[@stevegresty4181]

Yes, but he was kept out of harm's way, mainly doing the friday chippy run..........

[@christimothy3385]

Prince Andrew was one of the helicopter pilots trying to blow the smoke away from the injured, he also rescued the injured. He was very brave

[@donxz2555]

R.I.P Commander ‘Sharkey’ Ward RN - one amazing Harrier pilot and a legend

[@Stand663]

What was remarkable is, this was one of the few modern wars, where there was actual hand to hand fighting. The Scots guards at MtTumbledown charged at the Argentinian enemy machine gun positions with fixed bayonets and engaged in hand to hand fighting.

[@TheCornishCockney]

Dont know for certain if it’s true,but the SAS we’re doing what they do in a battle zone at night,when they came upon what they assumed were Argentine SF as they were highly trained. Turned out it was the SBS !

[@Mark-Haddow]

​@@TheCornishCockney The SAS and SBS both have their origins in the Scots Guards. The Falklands was a rare example where both tier 1 groups had to sit back and watch their Daddy regiment doing their thing. The Scots Guards being the original UK regiment, older than the Scots bodyguard, the Coldstream Guards.

[@MrTangolizard]

@@Mark-Haddownot really sterling was a guardsman but the SAS is a whole separate thing

[@jofereday7213]

My nephew was on a 6 month deployment with the RAF to the Falklands last year, so our amazing armed forces are still going out there. ❤️

[@henryvagincourt4502]

Well said, we still look after our people.

[@oopsdidItypethatoutloud]

It always heartens me when our lads acknowledge the courage of the people they fought. It shows how people can move on and live together. ❤ from Northeast England ❤️

[@sardonick1]

My friend Simon Cockton was a co pilot in the Army Air Corps. His helicopter was shot down by friendly fire, during the Falklands war. He was a wonderful man who got married the week he was deployed. RIP Simon thank you for your sacrifice and service.

[@horace9341]

A son of our community was killed there too. His name was Gary Witford, he was an engineer serving aboard HMS Ardent when she was attacked and sunk in the Falkland Sound. Any loss is sad, but when it’s close and personal it’s so much harder to take, and even worse for the family when no body can be recovered.

[@jamesthompson3674]

In 1982 I was a school boy and in our road we had a sea harrier pilot who served on HMS Hermes in 800 naval air squadron during the Falklands conflict. When he came home I visited him and he gave me his 800 NAS patch off his flying suit (I still have this) and he told me of a neat trick they did. To use his words "When dogfighting if you could not shake off an enemy fighter that was on your tail we would go from forward thrust to vertical thrust. This caused the Harrier would just stop dead in mid-air, the attacking aircraft would fly past you and then you could fire off a sidewinder missile". Apparently when they started doing this it freaked out the Argentinian pilots.

[@taotoo2]

You are misremembering, that was a myth propagated at the time.

[@shanewaterman4125]

That is referred to as VIFFing - Vectoring In Forward Flight. It didn't make the Harrier stop dead. If you rolled through 90deg, the Harrier shot off left or right at about 9g initially. No conventional fighter could keep up with it doing that. The US Marine Corps aviators later took VIFFing to extremes!

[@shanewaterman4125]

​@@taotoo2see my reply concerning VIFFing. This is probably what he is talking about.

[@taotoo2]

@@shanewaterman4125 I'm sure it is, but it wasn't used in the Falklands.

[@michaelstamper5604]

I wasn't called on to serve in the Falklands, but I'm of the same generation as those who were. Some of my former schoolmates went there and a significant proportion of them didn't come home. It's considered a cliche in some circles, but there's a sound reason why the UK armed forces are called some of the best trained in the world. The pride, and the grief, are strong as I watch this. Thank you, ladies xx

[@alireid5235]

God bless our RAF and all our heroes here in the UK that protect us and our freedom Allie Edinburgh Scotland UK

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Well said!

[@muckmoses6521]

And the Fleet Air Arm who flew the air combat missions in the Falklands.

[@alireid5235]

@@muckmoses6521 I did say all the the heroes

[@Pardus_1970]

A number of the Argentine Pucara ground attack aircraft were housed on a small offshore Island , Pebble Island , On the night of the 14th May 1982 a small reconnaissance unit from the SAS ( Special Forces) landed by canoe , after a brief analysis of the airfield a stronger SAS force landed by helicopter. They advanced onto the air base . During the firefight, explosive charges were attached to some aircraft and destroyed. Others had fuel tanks destroyed by gunfire. In total, 11 aircraft were destroyed, the SAS sustained 1 minor injury. The success of the mission caused huge disruption into Argentina, attacking British ground forces

[@riculfriculfson7243]

I was at secondary school at the time (14 years old). I remember being so Gung Ho about the whole thing (all that Argie Bargy bollocks). I family friend had even gone down there on HMS Sheffield so I felt a 'personal connection'. When Sheffield got hit, my mum ran upstairs and told us in the living room (she said it had been torpedoed, but it later was revealed that it was the first Exocet casualty). I can still VIVIDLY remember how the 'war' changed for me. My parents had lived through The Blitz but I'd never really known conflict. Everything was suddenly very real. I've never forgotten those moments. Conflict was never the same after that. I followed the conflict religiously and am well aware of the good and bad of both sides. Still take my hat off to the Argentine Airforce and Special Forces, both of which were utterly dedicated and professional combatants.

[@user-bf4yp3xr4r]

I too was 14 years old and at secondary school at the time of the Falklands war unfortunately one of my best mates dad was on the Sheffield when she was hit and was subsequently killed in action

[@helenwood8482]

As a child, at an airshow, I got to sit in a Harrier cockpit. It was incredible.

[@stevencrouch6036]

I almost got to fly in one as a Air Cadet but unfortunately lost out & someone else did but got to fly in a RAF Puma instead, very tight in the Puma.

[@liamtimms777]

My friend owns one , based at Newark air museum

[@applecider7307]

I was deployed to Ascension Island on the 5th April 1982, RAF Nimrod Aircraft, that were to protect the fleet against Argentinian submarines. Wideawake Airfield was a USAF airfield, little known fact that a lot of the fuel used was supplied by the US, so my thanks to you guys for your help during our "little war"

[@helenwood8482]

Argentina thought we wouldn't fight for the Falklands. The fact that we did came as a shock.

[@clivewilliams3661]

The fact that the assembly of the fleet and its lengthy passage to The Falklands made the invasion transparent, so that the Argentines ought to have been able to prepare an overwhelming defense. The success of the British Forces against the predictions (including by our American allies) sent a shudder through the Warsaw Pact and it was said that they more than doubled their assessment of the capability of the Rhine Army as a result, setting it above any other force in Europe

[@occamraiser]

The Americans gave them that impression.

[@Muck006]

GB had EXTREME LUCK twice ... 1. the argentinian aircraft carrier had the british fleet on radar while they were on the way, BUT ... there was ZERO WIND during the day, so they could not launch the HEAVY LOADED PLANES 2. the ONE bombing run on the airfield on the Falklands islands managed to get ONE LUCKY HIT on the runway ... thus scaring the argentinians who took back their planes to the main land

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@occamraiser It was initiated by the UK Govt as Lord Carrington was quite 'wet' about the idea of retaining the Falklands as a British Overseas territory at such distance with no apparent advantage. IIRC there was also some tentative discussions through US with Argentina that gave rise to the view that UK would not prevent occupation. Maggie thought otherwise and when the Falklands was invaded she correctly gauged the mood for direct action. As it turned out Falklands, rather than being a diplomatic burden is now a major oil exploration site and could be a significant producer.

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@Muck006 The Argentine Navy never looked as though it was ever going to engage the Task Force for whatever reason and after the sinking of the Belgrano to submarine attack, the whole fleet stayed in port. You have to ask why the Argentine Navy was reluctant to fight and the answer may have been political within the Junta. There is speculation over the effectiveness of the Black Buck raids because of the seemingly minimal damage to the runway that may have prevented the deployment of Mirage III jets, but given the Argentine reaction in redeploying aircraft to defend Buenos Aires. It may have been viewed as symbolic of the power of RAF and the vulnerability of the Argentine mainland to what was originally thought to be an impossible attack on Argentine soil, The near impossible 8,000NMi round trip of a nuclear strategy bomber clearly made the Argentines think again about their vulnerability. Whatever the effect on the Argentines, the moral boost to the Falklanders, the Task Force and those at home was tangible and the Vulcan's capability to deliver a nuclear strike on Russia was not lost.

[@LilMonkeyFella87]

The Avro Vulcan bomber is amazing. I been to an air show in which one was flying by maybe a few 100 ft away on the sea front. They are absolutely deafening , the sound they make sounds like the air is being torn apart They have one outside the Avro Heritage Museum, which is a nice little museum near Manchester. It is HUGE. You don't grasp the size till you are stood under it

[@SteveBagnall-gh1fu]

I would describe it as Massive rather than large or big.

[@Cleow33]

I used to live very near Woodford Aerodrome outside Manchester. Every year they would have an air show and everything flew over our house. The Red Arrows were loud, but when the Vulcan flew over I thought the house was just going to disintegrate!

[@petecook1000]

I was serving in HMS Birmingham during the 1992 Navy Days in Portsmouth. A Vulcan would fly in low over the naval base and then spool up its engines and start a steep climb away from the naval base. The vibrations it caused could be physically felt by everyone and what seemed like every car alarm in Portsmouth was set off by it's power climb!

[@michaelevans205]

It's actually only about the size of a Boeing 737 dimensionally. But the tall undercarriage and delta shape lend it impressive presence.

[@malcolmsleight9334]

@@petecook1000 If flown by a very experienced pilot, it can do a vertical climb. I've seen it done at the Woodford air show in the late 70's.

[@user-jf9zr3zc5j]

It was the hawker sidley harrier developed in the 1960s by the British. After the Americans bought them out from the British later the f35 was built & introduced from using the harrier & its tech as an inspiration for the birth of the f35.

[@scottmccarter861]

great video. Deeply moving. HRH the Duke of York was helicopter pilot. It was a genuinely dangerous conflict. May those who died be granted eternal rest. GOD SAVE THE KING LWF.

[@gillfox9899]

I talked to a couple from the Falklands a few years ago. The husband was on mainland Argentina when the war started and was imprisoned leaving his wife and children in Stanley. They were detained and she said that the worst mental cruelty was that the Argentinian soldiers "practised" executions outside their place of captivity every day. Another friend still suffers from ptsd having been one of those who yomped across the islands

[@no-oneinparticular7264]

Heroes 🇬🇧

[@donxz2555]

The sad thing is the local knew the previous November that they were going to get invaded - I Knew the owners of a pub on the Falklands who told me how the British government were slowly selling them out, contracts and transport via Chile were stopped and the islanders forced to use Argentina (the air link was via the Argentine Navy) the only RN ship in the area (HMS Endurance) was being sold off and the build up of an Argentinian presence on South Georgia was being ignored by London - the landlady of the pub sent me a sweatshirt that Christmas with the logo of the Falkland Islands and the apt motto ‘Defend the Right’

[@LemmyCaution66]

Yes, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, did serve as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War in 1982. As a member of the Royal Navy, he flew Sea King helicopters in various roles throughout the conflict. Prince Andrew's responsibilities included: 1. **Anti-Submarine Warfare**: His primary role was as a co-pilot and helicopter warfare officer specializing in anti-submarine warfare. 2. **Search and Rescue Operations**: He was involved in search and rescue missions, helping to locate and assist naval personnel. 3. **Exocet Missile Decoy**: Notably, Prince Andrew flew decoy missions to distract Argentine Exocet missiles, thereby protecting British ships. His participation in the Falklands War earned him recognition and respect for his service, despite the inherent risks and dangers of the missions he undertook.

[@NataliePine]

I wonder what he's up to these days

[@medic1627]

​@@NataliePineIs that supposed to be funny?

[@NataliePine]

@@medic1627 I suppose more snarky than funny

[@angelawalker8615]

Argentina were in shock that we fought back, i had family on the ground,and was so very proud of the RAF who made it so much safer for the ground troops..

[@TheCornishCockney]

Girls,I urge you to check out the fleet returning to Portsmouth after the Falklands war carrying our ground troops with hundreds of thousands dockside to jump into their sons,brothers and fathers arms when they left the ships. The pride on show that day would melt any heart.

[@katetackaberry8263]

Same here in Guz (Plymouth). I seem to remember that some of the badly damaged ships arrived back in port at night. My brother-in-law was an electrician in the dock yard

[@lornaalexander2524]

The pride and patriotism on that day was immense. Many tears of pride were shed even from those watching the footage from home.

[@joshua.910]

Theres a video on here somewhere of a retired American Air Force pilot who'd bought a Harrier after he'd fell in love with them after getting the chance to fly one.

[@debbie8674]

Always fascinated to learn details about history. ❤

[@EricIrl]

The Harrier concept originated in the mid 1950s following studies by a French designer named Wibault. He came up with the idea of using vectored thrust making use of a proposed new engine coming from Bristol Siddeley called the Pegasus. Hawker aircraft at Dunsfold, Surrey built a number of test aircraft called the P1127 to test the idea. The first P1127 flew in 1960. The RAF were initially lukewarm about the idea as they felt that a combat aircraft based on the P1127 would be too small, too slow, have too short a range and not be able to carry enough bombs, rockets etc. However, funding from NATO (including the US) allowed hawker to build a more combat ready version of the P1127 called the Kestrel. A special NATO squadron was set up to test the Kestrel in real world scenarios. This eventually led to the Harrier GR.1 for the RAF and the AV8A for the US Marines. By the time of the Falklands War, the RAF Harriers had been upgraded to GR3 spec. Also used in the Falklands were the Royal Navy Sea Harrier which was different to the GR3 in that it was designed as an interceptor rather than a ground attack aircraft and was fitted with an intercept radar and Sidewinder missiles.

[@TheVirtualWatcher]

The Pegasus was a revolutionary engine with its vectored thrust capability but it was thrust limited (even with water injection). Bristol Siddeley had a development called the BS100, which had plenum chamber burning (reheat) but the takeover by Rolls-Royce meant it never got off the drawing board.

[@kathryngreetham3328]

My best friend at the time was an engineer officer in the royal fleet auxiliary, supply ships to the royal navy, so often overlooked. He showed me photo footage he had taken of enemy bombs falling between the royal navy ships. So many people didn't appreciate this was a real war with our forces lives at risk as it wasn't t fought on UK soil. Salute all those who served.

[@janettesinclair6279]

I always remember a news reporter sailing on one of the aircraft carriers who reported "I counted them all out, and I counted them all back". So good to know that none of them had been lost in action.

[@adriangoodrich4306]

Hanrahans real intent, though, and in which he succeeded admirably, was to fool the censor and tell us that EVERY aircraft had taken part in the raid. In the full quote: "I'm not allowed to say how many aircraft took part in the raid; but I counted them ALL [my emphasis] out, and I counted them all back."

[@janettesinclair6279]

@@adriangoodrich4306 Good point, thank you.

[@SusseBo]

Remember, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, served in the Falklands War. He was a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy during the conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982. Prince Andrew flew missions as part of the 820 Naval Air Squadron aboard HMS Invincible, undertaking various roles including anti-submarine warfare, casualty evacuation, and search and rescue operations.

[@helenwood8482]

That doesn't excuse his paedophilia.

[@user-gx3mw7rx4n]

It's a shame he could keep it in his pants..he totally disgraced himself and his family

[@Markus117d]

​@Graham-ii7uk Except for one the Falklands was before the disgrace, And secondly, he was not even charged with anything, The court case against him was a private law suit, not a criminal investigation.. What ever faults he may have it's important to remember his service to the country and the principal of innocent until proven guilty...

[@1chish]

@@user-gx3mw7rx4n Its a shame you can't keep your ignorance in your head. How did he disgrace anyone other than in the court of Social media where idiots rule? he has never been arrested, charged let alone convicted of any crime. He has faced ONE civil action by a goldigger.

[@1chish]

@@Markus117d Well said Markus. good to see people correct these Social Media experts who know nothing.

[@philfenn3991]

Prince Andrew was flying a Sea King helicopter. Someone else has mentioned the "decoy" function which was for the helicopters to fly up and down and left and right in front of the ships because that confused the target acquisition on the incoming Exocet missiles. Prince Andrew was one of the pilots involved in that piece of craziness. As an aside, on 19 December 1981 the Penlee lifeboat in Cornwall was lost with all hands attempting a rescue in hurricane force winds. The rescue attempt also included a Sea King flown by a US Navy pilot on secondment to the Royal Navy, flying the self same aircraft that the Prince flew in the Falklands

[@matthewhumphreys8370]

Vertical Take Off flying was developed where I live. The Rolls Royce Thrust Measuring Rig (Flying Bedstead). Was made at the now gone Rolls Royce factory and Hucknall Aerodrome. It's first full test Flight was in August 1954. The further research led to the creation of the Short S.C.1 aircraft which in turn led to the development of Harriers you've witnessed in action in this video ❤️😉👍

[@stephensmith4480]

One of the last men we heard rom on that video, commander Nigel '' Sharkey '' Ward, only recently passed away on the 17th of may this year, he was 80 years young. His son was also a Sea Harrier pilot who sadly died in 2018 aged 45. R.I.P Gentlemen 🙏🙏

[@Smudgie33]

My Dad is a Chelsea Pensioner now and I remember he served in the Falklands as well as a couple of tours in Bosnia as an Army Medic.

[@michelletrudgill4573]

Looking forward to this, I was 19yrs old and the conflict was all we could talk about at work.

[@MjII7]

I was 17 years old and couldn’t believe this was happening just out of the blue, I was sort of fascinated, and I couldn’t wait to get home from work to watch the news, then I started feeling sickened when they started reporting we were losing ships (I used to think the Royal Navy wouldn’t lose a ship)! The BBC didn’t help (and probably got people people killed) reporting what we were going to do next, losing the element of surprise. I could understand that knowing it’s being beamed all over the world!

[@tnetroP]

I was about 12 when this happened and I remember coming home every night to watch the latest on the news. This was, of course, before the 24 hour news that we have today. We used to have news broadcast at 6pm, 9pm and 10pm on the four channels that we had at the time. Massive respect to all of our armed forces that retook the Falklands. Also respect to the Argentian armed forces who fought bravely. I've watched a Vulcan accelerate down a runway at a show. Sadly it was only a runway run and not a take off. The sound and thunderous vibrations were immense.

[@davidmaddison4544]

Same Age - expect the BBC to reveal the bomb fuze time and the main area of attack!

[@jamielindsay1506]

This was an incredible history lesson. A fitting video to do as yesterday was Armed Forces Day here in the UK. Your love for the military is deeply appreciated. God bless all these lost in the Falklands and those who lived through it.

[@jilldiable8119]

My nephew flew many helicopter missions in Iraq etc & was 1 of the team who trained prince william. So proud of our RAF

[@alchristie5112]

There’s so many parts to the Falklands conflict. SS Atlantic Conveyor, a merchant marine container ship, was sunk with 10 vital helicopters on board. The meant that the elite Parachute Regiment and Royal Marine Commandos had to walk 50 miles across difficult terrain carrying their equipment before engaging the Argentinian troops. To this day, after 32 weeks of breaking training and selection, the Royal Marines still have a 30 miler as the final commando test.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

I was only just randomly thinking about Harriers today after a conversation with a mate. A bunch of guys my ex RAAF Dad flew with at Cathay Pacific were ex Falklands veterans, quite a few were ex Harrier pilots. Their flying stories were great.

[@marciarichards9446]

Good morning Natasha and Debbie, and everyone. Once again, I'm loving the show as always.

[@Carl-Hancox]

Hi lovely ladies , i mentioned at the start of chat that my nephew is going into RAF next week and my other nephew going into Marines , God Speed to both of em , very proud 😁😁

[@jillwilliamson4825]

A young lad from my town was killed on hms Sheffield he was only 18. Thanks ladies. 🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@ian757]

I was 17 years old when the Falklands happened and I’d already decided that I wanted to join the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Needless to say, the heroic exploits of now-legendary pilots like ‘Sharkey’ Ward only cemented my desire and 7 years later I was actually flying the Sea Harrier and doing the job I’d dreamed of since I was a kid. I think this video did a good job of explaining how the Sea Harrier dominated the air combat side of things including the advantage of the AIM 9-L Sidewinder and the (very sensible) reluctance of the Argentine Pilots to come down to lower levels to engage the Sea Harrier in its element. Any veteran of that conflict will pay tribute to the very brave, young Argentinian A4 Skyhawk pilots who made repeated, almost suicidal, bombing runs in the British Ships at San Carlos. If you want to know the process of training to become a Fast Jet Pilot in the U.K. I can suggest you watch the BBC documentary, ‘Combat Pilot’ from 2007. It’s very good and is virtually identical to how I trained. Same place, same aircraft, same pressures. Even if you don’t do a reaction to it I think you will find it interesting and give you an even deeper respect for fighter pilots from all nations. Ian 😎👍

[@samday9328]

It's a small world. The top-scoring British pilot in the FI was "Moggy" Morgan, who was then an RAF Pilot who was on an exchange posting and attached to 800 Sqn FAA . I had met Moggy in 1980 when as a sprog pilot, I was sent on a holding posting to 3 Sqn at RAF Gutersloh in W Germany. He and the rest of 3 Sqn took me under their collective wings and introduced me to many things - most of which are irrelevant to this post!!! I recently bought a copy of Moggy's book "Hostile Skies" which he very kindly signed for me. Subsequently I went onto Basic Flying Training (pre FI conflict) and guess who one of my instructors was? No, not Moggy - but the now famous "Slithers"! As I said, small old world!

[@nickgrazier3373]

During the Falklands war I was ground crew on the RAF Germany Harrier force, which was set up continually training to combat the East German And Soviet threat with the BAC Harrier GR3, basically though we were Cold War Warriors. We as ground crew on the Force can include ourselves with that title because we took the Ground Attack harrier version into the forests in North Germany and trained as basically just qualified soldiers, in the forces vernacular, up to our necks in muck and bullets. I tell you this because it explains that the camouflaged Harriers you see were the one we flew and not fitted out for air dog fight in any way apart from 30mm cannon, really so when the fleet left for the Falklands they initially only took the Sea Harrier, which was a fully kitted out jet fit for dog fight etc. in defence of the fleet. It took the Harrier Engineering Authority 2 to 3 weeks to design test and fit a complete Sidewinder Missile firing kit to our Harriers before the could start the journey South West! How about the ground attack Pilots you might ask! Well they had to undergo air combat training with the help of the US forces (not sure which branch that was) on Sardinia an Italian Island in the Mediterranean which had a NATO Base called the Decimomannu Air Base! The US had long used this place as did we, as well as the German, Italian and originally the Canadians, it was a true NATO international base! They, the US had a fully tricked out electronic combat area for training and this is what our air combat “not ready” pilots used to get “ready” status! Of course the enemy force would be provided by the US contingent and they flew against our small Harriers with their big F15! When our pilots initially started their course we as ground crew were told they gained a kill against the “enemy” of 20%, then they started to work with the Harrier to see what surprises it could come up with, the main one was using their nozzles, which were used primarily to allow the A/C thrust to be vectored down so normally this would be used to slowly come to the hover and land. The pilots now used them to stop forward flight let the attacking A/C to wiz past underneath then change thrust to come up behind them. Anyway there were a load of things that needed to be done to transform our Basic Airforce at that time (apart from the Sea Harriers, which had a totally different job) which were a combat ready force for a land war against the USSR into some other monster, and we succeeded. The pilots were coming back with up to 80% kill rate on the virtual training scenarios against very experienced partner enemy force! I got a brilliant sun tan and the pilots got a meaningful two week virtual missile and air cannon combat experience, boy was it hot in the Mediterranean!!! Cheers girls

[@robertwatson9940]

Harriers are still serving with the American Marines.They have shot down drones in Red sea area.They fly a bigger version of the ones you took care of.American Marines have 350 plus our 50 .We sold them to America.So we had no aircraft or carriers for ten years.Just HMS Ocean.With choppers.Now we have two carriers. In Portsmouth at the moment.

[@jakhaughton1800]

I believe that the pilots from both sides have met and discussed their memories

[@LilMonkeyFella87]

I put up a documentary yesterday I think you would both appreciate, it's a WW1 retrospective but with a focus on the poppy exhibit they had at the Tower of London. It shows all the other poppy exhibits across the UK that was done aswell as people giving stories of family members in WW1 who were represented in the ceramic poppies. It also has some amazing stories on some of the groups women in the UK who helped the war effort "Britains Poppies: The First World War Remembered FULL DOCUMENTARY - 2018 HD"

[@andrewcampbell2720]

Fantastic video, ladies. During the conflict, the Argentine pilots named the harrier "the Black Death," and there were reports that pilots dumped their stores and returned to base when they saw a harrier in their area because they were so effect in shooting down planes.

[@nettygallagher2724]

My brother was in the air force he is no longer in it but he still flys to keep his hours he takes his kids up in small plain they love it every time the weather is good he takes them up. He went to Falklands but it was not when the war was on he went later as one of his tours were they send you. Although not in the air force any more he still has a great job that is challenging to do with air force he sometimesl travels it's a civilian job but very hard. He loves it. He flew jet plains he was a fighter pilot he loved being in the air force. Love from uk. Xx

[@carolineskipper6976]

A fascinating topic - at the same time incredible technology and skill on display- but also the tragedy of war. Watching this video, it was inevitable that the famous words of the journalist Brian Hanrahan, who was embedded with the British fleet, came to mind. He was reporting after a particular raid, and said "I'm not allowed to say how many planes joined the raid, but I counted them all out, and I counted them all back" This sentence became one of the most famous pieces of War reporting of all time, as we watched the War unfold from the safety of 1000's of miles away.

[@stue2298]

What made the 20 Seaharriers far more effective was Chille giving intelligence to the british of Argentinan aircraft taking off from the mainland, and the USA generiously made avaliable their brand new air to air missle to the UK to 'evaluate' in actual combat. You should contact Lindybeige and see if you can react to his video he made on Chillian involvement. The ARA General Belgrano was the U.S.S. Pheonix.

[@1chish]

Would that be the 'brand new missile' that the RAF and FAA had been using for some years before 1982? Like since the late '60s? The Yanks only helped by diverting US stocks rather than have us wait for Raytheon to build and deliver an order we already had in place. if we hadn't had that order in place the Yanks would have done nothing.

[@adriangoodrich4306]

@@1chish It was the latest version of the Sidewinder - effectively a new missile, given the many improvements since the earlier, rear-attack-only versions.

[@1chish]

@@adriangoodrich4306 Forgive me but the AIM-9L version used in the Falklands was first produced in 1977 and the UK had been using it on a variety of aircraft before the Falklands. As I wrote above we already had a large order in place with Raytheon for the 'Lima' variant before the Falklands kicked off.

[@adriangoodrich4306]

That is not quite the full story about the AIM-9L. Britain already had many of the earlier AIM-9G variant, and the first few of an ongoing order of the latest and more capable AIM-9L variant. The latter seemingly miraculously "disappeared" in a RAF C-130 from RAF Wattisham (and maybe elsewhere, like RAF Leuchars) just before the task force sailed. The main batch used were taken from NATO stocks - stocks for use only on NATO wartime business and with NATO (which effectively meant US) permission. What the US DID do was give (covert) permission for the UK to draw down from this stockpile, in advance of the rest of the existing order being delivered, and restock that supply with missiles from US stocks or production. This effectively dramatically accelerated the delivery of the existing UK order - turning into a near-instant delivery ahead of Pentagon and other customer orders. Your point about "evaluate" is a fair one, albeit I suspect maybe not quite what you meant? It will not have been lost on Raytheon and The Pentagon that this was a major opportunity to see how this latest version of the AIM-9 performed in combat? As it transpired, I believe most post-conflict analysis has shown that the existing AIM-9G version would probably have achieved almost the same kills, all of which were made from behind, And that it was not the missile being the very latest version that made all the difference, but various other factors some of which were noted in the video. I HAVE seen it reported, though, that the Argentine pilots were shocked and somewhat demoralised when they saw that the SHARs were carrying the L-variant, and so they were more vulnerable than they assumed, especially in a frontal attack. IF this is true, then this may have had at least as much impact as the missile itself? With all the attention given to the AIM-9L, it always amazes me that so few know about the other covert US missile supply! That of several AGM-45 Shrike Anti-radar missiles, deemed more likely to score than the RAF's MARTELs, and carried by Vulcans on later Black Buck raids taking out Argentine radars.

[@adriangoodrich4306]

@@1chish I know - this is precisely what I said in reply to another poster! The OP was implying that it was the same missile version as had been in UK service since the 1960s. I was pointing out this was the latest - and much-improved over the existing G-variant - iteration, and certainly over the early original B-onwards variants used by the FAA in the 1960s! I believe, though, that the UK had not long deployed the L version, and comparatively few had yet been delivered - hence the large outstanding order.

[@joannafisher3391]

Once had a Harrier come down in our street turn and take off again . Still have no idea why but at the time it was so cool and just fantastic to see . Being a military plane nut as well it just made my day scared the cat though 😂

[@debbie8674]

Wow❤

[@leplum2001]

I am pretty sure that the Harrier was the first VTOL aircraft.

[@mcborge1]

It was actually the Kestrel which was the early version of what would later be called the Harrier.

[@guypenrose5477]

@@mcborge1Kestrel

[@EricIrl]

The Harrier wasn’t the first vertical take off and landing fixed wing aircraft. A number of other designs had flown in the 1950s - such as the American Convair Pogo and the Lockheed XFV. There was also the Ryan Vertijet. In Britain there was the Short SC1. However, all these earlier aircraft were used for research and did not result in actual production aircraft. The P1127/Kestrel/Harrier line proved far more practical.

[@liamtimms777]

TBf the kestrel was just a test bed, not made for service , if u wana be really geeki the flying bedstead came first , the harrie was the first active vstol jet,

[@EricIrl]

@@liamtimms777 I think it’s called being historically accurate. It took over 10 years to get from the TMR to an operational VSTOL aircraft.

[@TheCornishCockney]

When our ground troops were about to attack Port Stanley,the argies surrendered. In the hills above the town there was a battalion of the feared Gurkhas ready to descend on the argie troops. They were very annoyed that the enemy had already surrendered and had to put the kukri away (the curved sword). Their commander later said that the aggression of his men waiting for the order was frightening.

[@richardbale3278]

It's not the planes; it's about the pilots. The Brits showed their stuff.

[@raymondbristow4007]

The Vulcun bombers predecessor was the Victor, which was converted to the air to air refuelling role. So it was the "Mother" aircraft that fed the "daughter" Vulcan to the Falklands. The Victor bomber in the refueling role wasn't retired until shortly after Desert Storm... So everyones favourite, The Badass Vulcan had a much shorter service than its predecessor, the Victor.... the Victor, no not a good name... You like the name of the Invincible, pre WW1 another name was "Dreadnought", I like that one too andanother, Cold War era Hunter Killer Submarine, Revenge. Something hunting you down, REVENGE, I quite like that... The Fleet Auxillary Vessels are usually named after King Arthurs Knights of the Round Table, RFA Sir Lancelot, RFA Sir Galahad, RFA Sir Tristrum etc. The Crew are all civillian merchant seaman but frequently have a small team of Marines on board. Trooper Bear

[@adriangoodrich4306]

Not really so, though. The Victor (like the Valiant) was not a predecessor, but a contemporary - one of the three V Bombers designed and built to the same requirement, at the same time. The Valiant was a less-advanced "safe" design, and metal fatigue ended its career prematurely. The Vulcan was a much more advanced design, and in fact the Victor was in some aspects the most advanced design of all, if the Vulcan was the most radical. The Victor could carry a far heavier bombload than the Vulcan (35,000 lbs c/w 21,000 lbs), with a longer range and similar performance at the very high altitude all three were designed for. But the Vulcan was far superior in the low-altitude role they were forced to change to, after Soviet SAMs could reach their previously SAM and fighter-unattainable height. And its handling - almost like a fighter - remains legendary. And the Vulcan had perhaps the best ECM suite in a NATO strike aircraft. So the Vulcans were retained as bombers, whilst the Victors - with their huge carrying capacity - were converted to tankers. The Tornado replaced the Vulcan in the low-level strike role, whilst the much less demanding tanker role for the Victors continued for some years further.

[@stephenhughes4943]

There are two books that i think encapsulate the british point of view to the Falklands war. Try not to laugh Sargent major...And Dont cry for me Sargent Major. Both show that the British Army marches on its sense of humour more than anything else.

[@p1aydan]

This is a perfect example of the fact that it isn't always the size of the military, but rather the professionallism, training, technology and strategy that is employed.

[@muckmoses6521]

The Belgrano was the USS Phoenix a survivor of Pearl Harbour.

[@lindablackley4916]

wow . i seen a harrier up close , i heard loud rumbling &thunderin noise coming over the roof of my house i raced out side to my backgarden an saw a harrier litteraly at bottom of my garden , it was hovering about 20ft horizontaly over the open allotment gardens that back on to all the houses in my road. it seemed to hav issuse as kept firing blast of blue flames out of the engine, then they fix what ever the issue was ,then took off straight up to get enough clearance ,then wooosh it was gone , it head towards an R A F BASE , 30MINS AWAY FROM WHERE I LIVED , I WAS 16 YEAYS OLD AT THE TIME , AN HOME LONE

[@1_5RCBiker]

The British Army did rename the UK Carriers Invincible and Hermes (unnofficialy) as HMS Invisible and HMS Herpes. Just our type of humour! :)

[@shanewaterman4125]

... and the Paras and Royal Marines referred to each other as The Parasite Regiment and the Royal Latrines.... 🙄😂

[@jasonpi76]

I've had the total honour of being in a harrier vertical take off craft and the experience was awesome

[@barty7016]

Thanks ladies, I learned a lot from this video 😊

[@mikebentley6200]

Yes, you are right, it was a war, a lot of people died and many people suffered afterwards, so many even to this day. I was a young airmen in the Royal Air Force. We were called upon to work 24/7 in the lead up to the war. It was an eerie time, not least because we knew what was going down, long before the general public realised what was happening. I remember one sunny Saturday afternoon, just as the reality of what was about to happen had become obvious, preparing aircraft weapons to be used in the conflict. It was made all the more unreal because as we worked, we listened to the radio playing in the background, the radio station DJ's oblivious of what was really happening - it was just another cheery, and uncommonly sunny day. I am proud, not because of my own input, but to the fact that Britain was prepared to expend so much effort in supporting the Falkland Islanders right to remain as British citizens.

[@GaryNoone-jz3mq]

That "awesomeness" is called engineering.

[@barrypos55]

Both the HMS INVINCIBLE and HMS SHEFFIELD were both built in Barrow in Furness, a town 10 miles from me....The sinking of Sheffield was felt very hard in the town.

[@jeffsturgess2530]

One big advantage we had was that the British forces are probably the best on the planet.

[@sarabazlinton9820]

Watching this brought back so many memories of 1982, I was 17 and totally gripped by events in the south Atlantic. I remember seeing the Harrier and Vulcan in action on news reports; watching them both display at air shows in the late 90’s with my two young sons was surreal, considering that 15 or so years earlier they’d been in active combat and there was I with my boys being entertained by them. The Falklands War and learning about it is still a big interest of mine.

[@simonblaxall115]

Both the Sea Harrier and Harrier GR3 which served in the Falklands conflict were dependent upon the AIM-9L Sidewinder anti-aircraft missile, which the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force had a limited number of at the start of the conflict. Being an American made missile, we were horrified when America decided to withhold any further supplies of these missiles whilst the conflict was ongoing as they wished to express their neutrality. I distinctly remember the public outrage at this when this information was released.

[@petecook1000]

That was the public version. In reality the US did everything they could to get 9L to the task force. The task force sailed from Portsmouth with only 19 9L available, but by the time they arrived at Ascension Island, there were over 100 supplied covertly by the US and delivered by a RAF Hercules, that had been on a 'training op' in Belize and had stopped for 'refuelling' in the US. The US even looked into the feasibility of supplying the RN with an aircraft carrier (USS Iwo Jima) should it be needed if one of the RN carriers were lost.

[@shelleydunxan2380]

I am old enough to remember the Falklands Conflict. Updates were on the news daily here in Australia. I remember how much was said about how difficult it would be for the British. I was amazed at what the British achieved and asked how?

[@pjmoseley243]

I just watched the Falkland Island legislaters addressing the United Nations begging them to visit the Islands and talk to the people look it up and say what you think.

[@apexqc04]

If it is at all finable, Mike Brewer (co presenter of a britsh car show called Wheeler Dealers) went out to Afghanistan to look at some of the military hardware used there. He took part on the last flight of Bravo November, the chinook that survived the Falklands. They medevacked a bunch of soldiers whilst under heavy fire, the plane's hydraulics were shot out and the pilot had to get them home with a bullet wound to the head. Would be a treat to watch again if it's out there somewhere. Mind blowing what out troops put themselves through.

[@NobleKnightHouseHepatrax]

Hey Natasha and Debbie recently the forces tv's youtube channel released a video called the shot at dawn memorial video. Its about the poor ww1 soldiers who were suffering from PTSD/Shell shock and who were wrongly accused of cowardice and were executed by firing squads. Its quite heart breaking perhaps you'd like to react to it so more people get to learn the sad stories of those brave men who were heroes but accused of being cowards. 🇬🇧❤👍

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

Australian troops were the only Commonwealth troops not subjected to execution due to the Breaker Morant fiasco. Only recently watched the movie again, still holds up as a legal drama.

[@markduggan3451]

The Harrier was the first vertical takeoff and landing plane. A friend of mine who fought at Goose Green only ever said to me that he was there. He never talked about it again.

[@kristinapettersson1948]

Very interesting video. All honor to all soldiers.🫡. Very good video.😊🫶🏻

[@22seanmurphy]

Hello ladies the harrier was the first one x

[@chrissouthgate4554]

(Repost from above) There was a Kestrel first, a smaller prototype Harrier. It was operated by the Triparted Squadron Consisting of French, German & British crews. Only the British decided to carry on with the development into the Harrier. Later a Marine Corps pilot got a look at a Harrier 7 theirs became the AV8B

[@Axispaw1]

@@chrissouthgate4554the Tri-partite Evaluation Squadron was simply a squad of pilots from the UK, US and West Germany. They tested the aircraft and had nothing to do with its development. The UK made the Kestrel as well as the Harrier.

[@EricIrl]

@@Axispaw1 The Tripartite squadron was funded under the NATO Mutual Aid programme - which was largely bankrolled by the US. It sought to test the concept of VSTOL in the field - to see if it was viable and that the shortcomings associated with VSTOL could be overcome by advantages. In the end, it was decided that it was a concept worth pursuing and both the RAF and the US Marines decided to order a fully fledged front line aircraft which became known as the Harrier GR1 in RAF service and the AV8A with the US Marines. The other partcipants in the programme declined to order these original versions of the Harrier although in the 1980s and 90s, the Italians did operate the advanced AV8B versions.

[@liamtimms777]

Same plane , just a test bed name ,

[@liamtimms777]

@@chrissouthgate4554av8 came before gr7,

[@jamessteele7470]

One of the Vulcan's ( XM597 ) that took part in the Black Buck raids is currently situated at the Nation Museum Of Flight in East Fortune, Scotland. It has the mission markings painted on the nose, and sadly, because it's been sitting outside in the elements for so long, is slowly rusting away. They also have a Sea Harrier in one of the hangers at the museum. I can't get over just how small those things are - the aircraft are extremely small in comparison to other jets of the time, like the Jaguar and Tornado.

[@FaithlessDeviant]

The Harrier was the first combat plane with the vertical take-off and Landing in service. The american developement of a vertical take-off jet was scrapped by congress so that is why that the US Marine Core was allowed to get a non domestic airplane in their arsenal since USA didn't have anything to offer them with this characteristics. The american got a license to build their own harriers so they are a little different than the british. Russia crashed their last remaining prototype and wasn't funded again so scrapped as well.

[@forlorndream1400]

I was in school when this conflict happened. It was this and the Embassy siege that convinced me to enlist. A few years later I was proud to raise my right hand and swear my oath of allegiance to the Queen, her heirs and successors and her generals and officers.

[@Mat-eq8mk]

In my opinion, the Royal Navy vessel with the coolest name is the nuclear missile submarine HMS Vengeance.

[@w0033944]

I'm much the same age as Natasha and, as a kid, the legend of the Harriers was huge.

[@glennwhittaker197]

Thanks ladies, ironically enough, this weekend here in the UK it was ARMED FORCES DAY, although not a lot goes on sadly due to wokes 😒 Anyway, I just realised I wasn’t 14, as my Birthday is in July, so I was still 13 when this happened. After the conflict my brother went there with the Royal Engineers to build a road & he brought me back a set of Falklands coins (maybe you can look them up?) See you ladies soon 👋🏻 🇬🇧🫶🏻🇺🇸

[@cddavid1]

‘Due to wokes’???? Who organises it, who promotes it? Who attends it?? What a ridiculously bigoted and unfounded statement.

[@ernieeade]

When returning home from a service breakdown ( Not military ) at 4.00 am one morning and driving through a small town in 1981. I was stopped by a police officer at a crossroads and asked to wait as the RAF was taking a Harrier Jump Jet back to it's base by road . Nothing unusual about this as it was a RAF base. and quite used to seeing military vehicles driving through the town , however this was different as it was moving under it's own power ! It was a bit of a shock to see it moving along the road and turning right at the traffic lights . Apparently so the Russians could not track them they would land anywhere local and then either be towed or move under their own power back to base . Strangest thing i ever saw whilst out at night when working .

[@ericstewart8879]

Gm , yay Vulcans ftw

[@ianwilkinson8664]

ARA General Belgrano (C-4) was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Originally commissioned by the U.S. Navy as USS Phoenix, she saw action in the Pacific theatre of World War II before being sold to Argentina. The USS Phoenix was a Peal Harbour survivor. The Harrier is still operated by the USMC as the AV-8B Harrier.

[@reluctantheist5224]

The Belgrano ,that was a veteran of ww2 was the ship that you were probably thinking about.

[@Daveydoodoo]

She was originally the USS Phoenix and was a survivor of the Pearl Harbour attack in WW2

[@Lemmi99]

@@Daveydoodoo Ironically she was sunk by a WW2 torpedo, the Mk8. It was updated by Marconi Underwater Systems in Portsmouth. I started working for them a couple of years later.

[@duxberry1958]

The Film ( Under Siege ) is loosely base on a Serviceman i think he was in the Army he tried to join the Police but read a job was going in the NAFFI = ( Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes: an organization providing canteens, shops, etc, for British military personnel at home or overseas ) as Canteen Manager and took part in the Action ...On 21 May, the Ardent moved into position in Falkland Sound as the lead ship to bombard Argentine positions in order to divert the attention of the enemy force from the British landing in the San Carlo inlet. Leake operated a deck mounted machine gun during the ensuing attacks by Argentine aircraft, and was credited with downing an Argentine Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, puncturing the plane's fuel tanks. He continued to man the gun whilst the ship was hit by seventeen missiles and bombs. Along with the remaining crew, Leake abandoned ship, boarding HMS Yarmouth, which pulled alongside the listing Ardent... LEGEND...

[@vogonpoet5860]

Prince Andrew made headlines when at risk of being shot down, he flew his helicopte low between a blazing ship and life rafts, using the domn wash from his rotors to blow the vulnerable life rafts against the current heading them back toward the burning ship, and managed to blow the men in the rafts toward land and safety, a heroic act that is often ignored.

[@markhinton1641]

The harrier was the 1st vstol aircraft

[@markhinton1641]

It's yet another British invention

[@user-ze5tu4ck1t]

What was not mentioned because I understand it was primarily about the Air war .but the Attack by the SAS on the Argentinian Air Field on Pebble Island, Which wiped out all the Aircraft. Worth a watch in its own Right .

[@fishtigua]

My chat is not working, but Hi everyone.

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I was visiting the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton in Somerset, on our way to a holiday in Cornwall. While there we watched the RAF Harriers coming in to be readied for heading out to the Falklands.