Falklands War Sea Harriers

As the British amphibious group landed at San Carlos, East Falkland, on 21 May 1982, the Royal Navy Sea Harriers flew combat air patrols above. Although the Argentine forces may soon be driven back to Port Stanley and surrender, the Argentine Junter on the mainland did not. This meant that a strong air presence would need to remain long after hostilities ended. Even today, Eurofighter Typhoons fly from the purpose built RAF Mount Pleasant airbase to provide air defence for the Falkland Islands & South Georgia. RAF Mount Pleasant is now home to around 2,000 British military personnel, as much again as was the population of the Falkland Islands back in 1982!

A trio of Sea Harriers

This all began in April 1982 with just 20 Sea Harriers, topped up with a further 8 in mid-May. During the subsequent 100 day conflict, six were lost in accidents or by ground fire, but not one in air-to-air combat.

The ability of the British to retake the Falklands lay in the hands of pilots and aircraft fighting while outnumbered six-to-one, 8000 miles from home. Fortunately, the British had a few advantages of their own. The Argentines had only two aerial refuelling aircraft, the bombing of Port Stanley runway prevented their heavy fighter bombers landing closer to the British Task Force, and their aircraft carrier was forced to return to base after the sinking of the ARA General Belgrano. This meant that only a small number of aircraft could be sent on a given strike, at any one time.

As in all wars, the evolution of fighting equipment accelerates exponentially and the Falklands War was no different. While advancements were proposed and implemented across the whole task force, due to the relatively short conflict, most would only materialise until after the war. One interesting example came from the lack of shipborne AEW platform, which caused major issues in identifying air strikes. As the Task Force was well out of range of any RAF aircraft capable of providing AEW support,  picket ships had to be posted ahead of the fleet to provide early warning of bombing and missile attacks, often resulting in the loss of the ship itself. HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry were just two such ships lost in this way. In recognition of this issue, Westland were commissioned to attach an RAF Nimrod radar to a Royal Navy Sea King.  To achieve this, they fashioned a swivel arm to attach itt to the fuselage and protected it within an inflatable dome. This allowed the radar to be lowered below the fuselage during flight and for it to be raised for landing. These prototypes, designated HAS2(AEW), were both flying within 11 weeks and deployed with 824 D-Flight on HMS Illustrious. By this time, however, the war was over, but they did return to the Falklands aboard HMS Illustrious in support of the ships, aircraft and troops that were staying on.

Three shades of grey!

The Sea Harrier evolution which most impressed me, meanwhile, was in its use of camouflage .. I’ve always been fascinated by the way camouflage has changed dramatically over the years, but here the changes were played out in fast forward!


Before the outbreak of the War, Royal Navy aircraft were painted dark sea grey with a white underside. This was the Temperate Sea Scheme, thought to be the best camouflage for the European theatre. As the two Sea Harrier squadrons, 800 and 801, sailed to the Falklands aboard HWS Hermes and HMS Invincible, their white undersides were overpainted with the dark sea grey; harder to see, or so they thought, in a Southern Atlantic winter. In the air, however, they appeared so dark that the Argentines called them the ‘Black Death’ .. probably not therefore as camouflaged as they may have wished! Back in the UK, as the newly formed 809 squadron and its oddball selection of Sea Harriers were pulled together, Mr Philip J Barley of the Defensive Weapons Department, Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), Farnborough was asked to design their paint scheme. Science took over from history and tradition and the overall Barley Grey camouflage scheme was created. When 809 joined the Task Force and merged with 800 and 801, they were asked to repaint their aircraft in the dark sea grey. Alas they declined, after all, their scheme was haute couture tailored specifically for the season! Interestingly, if you look at most British military aircraft today, they also now wear a similar Barley Grey low visibility camouflage.

Sea Harrier XZ457/14 in the original pre 1982 Temperate Sea Scheme

To illustrate this camouflage story, I just had to purchase another Sea Harrier and create the pre-Falklands look. This kit actually came with no plans nor decals, but having already built 3 in succession, I knew which bits went where, and had many a spare decal for the pre-Falklands variants that I’d not used. Amazingly, I was able to finish it in the early colours of the Sea Harrier FRS Mk1, XZ457/14, which I built in January, painted in its 1982 Falklands War colours as Black 14, the highest-scoring aircraft of the conflict. This aircraft was delivered wearing the code 104 to the Intensive Flying Trials Unit, specifically formed to prepare the new Sea Harrier for service, in January 1980. It was then assigned the aircraft number 14, as seen on the Black 14 model, when 899 NAS was made the operational Sea Harrier squadron and prior to joining 800 squadron aboard HMS Hermes. 

The Squadrons …

800 NAS under the command of Lieutenant Commander Andy Auld, was brought up to its wartime strength of twelve Sea Harriers by transferring four aircraft and their crews from 899 NAS. A further four Sea Harriers and pilots of 809 NAS joined the squadron from the eight which were shipped out to the Falklands in May aboard  MV Atlantic Conveyor  The squadron lost 2 planes and 1 pilot, one when it exploded on takeoff from Hermes and one shot down during an attack on Goose Green. No Harriers were lost in air-to-air fighting and the squadron destroyed 13 enemy aircraft. 

Sea Harrier XZ457/14 'Black 14' in the 1982 Falklands War Scheme

801 NAS under the command of Lieutenant Commander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward, sailed aboard the smaller carrier, HMS Invincible, with eight Sea Harriers and were joined by the remaining four of eight Sea Harriers and pilots of 809 NAS from MV Atlantic Conveyor. The Squadron lost four aircraft and two pilots during the conflict, two aircraft collided in bad weather, another slid off the deck when Invincible turned sharply into the wind and one shot down while on an armed recce

809 NAS Sea Harrier in the new Barley Grey Low Visibility Scheme

809 NAS, as with 899 NAS was split between 800 and 801 for the duration of the war but remained to fly in their unique Barley Grey low visibility camouflage. 

After the war, 809 NAS reacquired its aircraft and crews and returned to the UK alongside 800 NAS aboard Hermes, only to embark aboard the newly completed Illustrious and return to the Falklands so that Invincible could be relieved to return home. 809 NAS was then disbanded in December 1982 on its final return to the UK.  

In September 2013, it was announced that 809 NAS was to be reformed to become the first Fleet Air Arm squadron to be equipped with the F-35 Lightning II. The squadron will operate alongside 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force as part of the Lightning Force, and will be stationed at RAF Marham when not deployed aboard one of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Both squadrons will consist of both Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel. And yes, I have the kit of the British F-35 Lightning II in my stash and ready for building later this year!