British Military Aviation in 1982 - Part 2

Part 1

4 May
The Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield, on radar picket duty west of the Falklands, is hit and disabled by an Exocet anti-shipping missile launched by a Dassault Super Etendard of the Argentinean Navy's 2 Escuadrilla de Caza y Ataque. The warship was abandoned and subsequently sank.

7 May
No.825 Squadron is formed at Royal Naval Air Service Culdrose to fly Westland Sea King helicopters.

7 May
Six British Aerospace (BAe) Harrier GR3s of No.1 Squadron RAF depart from the United Kingdom aboard the merchant vessel Atlantic Conveyor en route to the Ascension Islands.

The first British Aerospace Nimrod MR2, modified for in-flight refuelling, to be despatched to the South Atlantic, Nimrod MR2P 'XV227', is deployed to Wideawake Air Base on this date. Subsequently, this aircraft flew the first Nimrod patrol featuring air-to-air refuelling, during a flight by a No.206 Squadron crew to a point some 2,750 miles south south-west of Ascension Island on an anti-submarine warfare patrol in support of elements of the Task Force en route to the Falkland Islands.

7 May
Two Sea Harriers from HMS Invincible are lost, they are believed to have collided while descending through cloud.

8 May
A Westland Sea King HAR3 of No.202 Squadron RAF is flown from the United Kingdom to Ascension Island, aboard a Shorts Belfast of the cargo airline Heavylift, to provide search and rescue cover for the Ascension area. The Sea King also flew transport sorties around the Island. This detachment ended on 7 September; the aircraft returned to the United Kingdom aboard HMS Invincible.

8 May
A combined force of around 20 Harriers and Sea Harriers fly non-stop from Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Yeovilton in Somerset to Ascension Island, in-flight refuelling several times during the nine hour flight.

9 May
Two Sea Harriers attack the Argentine vessel Nawal and the crew subsequently surrenders to HMS Hermes.

15 May
A new world distance record for an operational reconnaissance mission is created by a British Aerospace (BAe) Nimrod of No.201 Squadron, which covered a distance of 13,357 kilometres (8,300 miles) over the South Atlantic in 19 hours 5 minutes.

18 May
The air component of the Falklands Task Force is reinforced with the arrival of six British Aerospace (BAe) Harrier GR3s of No.1 Squadron RAF and eight British Aerospace Sea Harriers of No.809 Squadron on board the Atlantic Conveyer. Four Harrier GR3s were flown from the Atlantic Conveyor to the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes and the remaining aircraft arrived aboard Hermes on 19 and 20 May.

20 May
The British Aerospace (BAe) Harrier GR3s of No.1 Squadron carry out their first attack of the campaign. Three Harrier GR3s flown by the commanding officer of No.1 Squadron, Wing Commander P.T. Squire, Squadron Leader R.D. Iveson and Squadron Leader J.J. Pook carried out a successful cluster bomb attack on a fuel dump at Fox Bay, West Falkland.

21 May
Westland Sea King helicopters play a central role in the invasion of the East Falklands.

21 May
The Type 21 frigate HMS Ardent is sunk by Argentine air attacks. Nine Argentine aircraft are lost.

24 May
After suffering a severe air attack on the 23 May, HMS Antelope explodes and sinks. Seven Argentine aircraft are shot down by British forces.

24-26 May
In order to guard against the possibility of an Argentinean air attack on Ascension Island, three McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 aircraft of No.29 Squadron are deployed to Wideawake Air Base. Responsibility for the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) air defence commitment was assumed from No.1 Squadron on 25 May. The detachment ceased QRA duties on 14 July, and returned to the United Kingdom during the period 18-20 July.

25 May
The type 42 destroyer HMS Coventry is sunk by bombs dropped from Argentine Skyhawk aircraft. The container ship Atlantic Conveyor was hit by an Exocet sea-skimming anti-shipping missile launched by a Dassault Super Etendard of the Argentinian Navy whilst north-east of the Falkland Islands. The vessel was lost, together with the stores she carried, the latter included no fewer than ten helicopters - three RAF Boeing Chinooks, five Royal Navy Westland Wessex HU5s and a single Royal Navy Westland Lynx HAS2. The sole surviving Chinook with the Task Force (ZA718) was to play a vital role in British military operations during the remainder of the campaign.

27 May
A British Aerospace (BAe) Harrier GR3 of No.1 Squadron is shot down during an attack on Argentine positions in the Goose Green area - the pilot ejected successfully.

28 May
Goose Green and Darwin are re-taken by British forces.

30 May
A British Aerospace (BAe) Harrier GR3 of No.1 Squadron is shot down during an attack in support of British ground forces - the pilot ejected successfully.

30-31 May
During Black Buck 5, an Avro Vulcan B2 launches two Shrike anti-radar missiles in an effort to destroy a Westinghouse AN/TPS-43F radar in the Port Stanley area. However, the radar was only slightly damaged.

2-3 June
Black Buck 6: an Avro Vulcan B2 launches two Shrike anti-radar missiles, destroying a Skyguard anti-aircraft artillery fire control radar located near Port Stanley. However, the Vulcan's flight refuelling probe fractured during contact with a Handley Page Victor tanker on the homeward run and the aircraft was forced to divert to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where it was detained until 10 June.

5 June
A Forward Operating Base at Port San Carlos for British Aerospace (BAe) Harrier and Sea Harrier aircraft, completed by the Royal Engineers on 2 June, is first used. Known to No.1 Squadron aircrew as 'Sid's Strip' in honour of its Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader B.S. Morris, and 'HMS Sheathbill' by Fleet Air Arm aircrew, the base enabled No.1 Squadron Harrier GR3s to be held on ground alert while awaiting tasking.

11-12 June
Black Buck 7: Avro Vulcan B2 'XM607' makes a conventional bombing attack on the facilities at Port Stanley airport, using a mixture of 1,000 pound (450 kilo) HE bombs and air-burst anti-personnel bombs.

12 June
An Exocet missile fired from Port Stanley hits the destroyer HMS Glamorgan but the ship remains operational.

14 June
Argentine positions at Port Stanley are attacked by Army Air Corps Westland Scout helicopters armed with SS11 wire-guided anti-tank missiles. These were the last offensive air operations of the conflict and Argentinean forces on the Falkland Islands surrendered later that day.

1 September
The Royal air Force forms a second Boeing Chinook helicopter squadron at Odiham. The new unit is designated No.7 Squadron.

14 October
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Beetham is promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Royal Air Force and relinquished the appointment of Chief of the Air Staff.

15 October
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Williamson is appointed Chief of the Air Staff.

17 October
Following the reconstruction and extension of the runway at Port Stanley, the first McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 of No.29 Squadron RAF arrive at RAF Stanley. A further eight aircraft from the squadron arrived during the following week. No.29 Squadron exercised responsibility for the air defence of the Falkland Islands between October 1982 and the end of 1983, when No.23 Squadron assumed that role.

8 November
Using in-flight refuelling a Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado GR1 of No.9 Squadron makes a non-stop flight from England to Cyprus.

Part 1