Sea Harriers And Harriers In The Falklands War

It is often difficult to gather accurate information on air warfare.

Sources often vary and aircraft have an unfortunate habit of moving around during conflicts.

The following is a reference page listing the movements of Fleet Air Arm (F.A.A.) Sea Harrier Fighter Reconnaissance Strike Mark 1s (F.R.S.1) and Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) Harrier Ground Attack and Reconnaissance Mark 3s (G.R.3) during the Falklands War of 1982.

It was collected when trying to work out the average number of Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s protecting the Task Force.

Information comes from a variety of sources and may or may not be correct.

It will be corrected and added to as required when time permits further cross checking with other sources.

Pilot's names are given in brackets.

In 1982 the Royal Navy's (R.N.) F.A.A. had 2 frontline Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 Squadrons,800 Naval Air Squadron (N.A.S.) and 801 N.A.S. with 5 Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s each and a training squadron,899 N.A.S.,with further aircraft.

The total Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 fleet was initially planned to be 34 aircraft,reduced to 33 in 1980 when a Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 (Lieutenant Commander Mike Blisset) was lost after hitting the ski jump on Her Majesty's Ship (H.M.S.) Invincible.


Of these 33 aircraft,2 may still have been under construction during the Falklands War,giving an actual fleet of just 31 Sea Harriers,including trials aircraft.


Of these 31 Sea Harriers,28 saw action in the Falklands War,an astonishing 90% of the fleet.


This is one of the finest examples of force generation in the history of air warfare.

2nd of April 1982:

Argentinian forces invade the Falkland Islands.

5th of April 1982:

12 Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s sailed South with 800 Naval Air Squadron (N.A.S.) on Her Majesty's Ship (H.M.S.) Hermes.

8 Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s sailed South with 801 N.A.S. on H.M.S.Invincible.


8th of April 1982:


809 N.A.S. formed with 8 Sea Harriers (Lieutenant Commander Tim Gedge,Lieutenant Commander Hugh Slade,Lieutenant Commander Dave Braithwaite,Lieutenant Commander Alasdair Craig,Lieutenant Bill Covington Lieutenant Dave Austin,Flight Lieutenant Steve Brown and Flight Lieutenant John Leeming).




31st of April 1982:


6 Sea Harriers of 809 N.A.S. fly to Ascension Island via Banjul Gambia.

1st of May 1982:

Start of air combat operations.


A single R.A.F. Vulcan bomber and F.A.A. Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s bomb the air field at Port Stanley.


6 Sea Harriers arrive at Ascension Island.


2 Sea Harriers of 809 N.A.S. depart for Ascension Island via Banjul Gambia.

2nd of May 1982:


2 Sea Harriers arrive at Ascension Island.

3rd of May 1982:


4 Harrier GR3s take off from R.A.F. St.Mawgan to join up with 3 Victor tankers.


1 "spare" Harrier (Flight Lieutenant John Rochfort) returns to base.


2 Harrier G.R.3s (Flight Lieutenant Tony Harper and Flight Lieutenant Mark Hare) proceed to Ascension Island.


1 Harrier G.R.3 (Wing Commander Peter Squire) and 1 Victor diverts to Banjul in Gambia due to technical problems,both arrive at Ascension later.

4th of May 1982:

Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 (Lieutenant Nick Taylor) shot down by 35mm cannon at Goose Green.


2 Harrier G.R.3s (Squadron Leader Bob Iveson and Squadron Leader Jerry Pook) arrive at Ascension Island.


1 Harrier G.R.3 (Flight Lieutenant John Rochfort) diverts to Porto Santo en route to Ascension Island.




5th of May 1982:


3 Harrier G.R.3s (Squadron Leader Peter Harris,Squadron Leader Tim Smith,Flight Lieutenant Jeff Glover) arrive at Ascension Island.


1 Harrier G.R.3 (Flight Lieutenant Ross Boyens) diverts to Banjul in the Gambia.

6th of May 1982:

2 Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s (Lieutenant Alan Curtis and Lieutenant Commander John Eyton-Jones) collide in poor visibility and are lost.


8 Sea Harriers embark on Motor Vessel (M.V.) Atlantic Conveyor at Ascension Island (Lieutenant Commander Tim Gedge,Lieutenant Commander Hugh Slade,Lieutenant Commander Dave Braithwaite,Lieutenant Commander Alasdair Craig,Lieutenant Bill Covington Lieutenant Dave Austin,Flight Lieutenant Steve Brown and Flight Lieutenant John Leeming).




6 Harrier G.R.3s embark on Motor Vessel (M.V.) Atlantic Conveyor at Ascension Island.

18th of May 1982:

4 Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s (Lieutenant Commander Hugh Slade,Lieutenant Bill Covington,Flight Lieutenant Steve Brown and John Leeming) and 4 Harrier G.R.3s (Wing Commander Peter Squire,Squadron Leader Jerry Pook,Squadron Leader Peter Harris,Flight Lieutenant John Rochfort)  transfer from M.V. Atlantic Conveyor to H.M.S.Hermes.

4 Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s (Lieutenant Commander Tim Gedge,Lieutenant Commander Dave Braithwaite,Lieutenant Commander Alasdair Craig,Lieutenant Dave Austin) transfer from M.V. Atlantic Conveyor to H.M.S.Invincible.

19th of May 1982:

Harrier G.R.3 (Flight Lieutenant Tony Harper) transfers from M.V. Atlantic Conveyor to H.M.S.Hermes via H.M.S. Invincible.

20th of May 1982:

Harrier G.R.3 (Flight Lieutenant John Rochfort) transfers from M.V. Atlantic Conveyor to H.M.S.Hermes.

21st of May 1982:

Harrier G.R.3 (Flight Lieutenant Jeff Glover) shot down by Blowpipe missile at Port Howard.

23rd of May 1982:

Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 (Lieutenant Commander Gordon Batt) crashed and exploded after take off from H.M.S.Hermes.

27th of May 1982:

Harrier G.R.3 (Squadron Leader Bob Iveson) shot down by 35mm cannon at Goose Green.

29th of May 1982:

Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 (Lieutenant Commander Mike Broadwater) slid off the deck when H.M.S.Invincible performed a sharp turn.

30th of May:

Harrier G.R.3 (Squadron Leader Jerry Pook) shot down by ground fire which caused loss of fuel.

1st of June 1982:

Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 (Flight Lieutenant Ian Mortimer) shot down by Roland Missile near Port Stanley.

2 Harrier G.R.3s (Flight Lieutenant Mike Beech and Flight Lieutenant Murdo McLeod) land on H.M.S.Hermes after flight from Ascension Island.

8th of June 1982:

Harrier G.R.3 (Wing Commander Peter Squire) written off in heavy landing at forward operating base at Port San Carlos.

2 Harrier G.R.3s (Flight Lieutenant Ross Boyens and Flight Lieutenant Nick Gilchrist) land on H.M.S.Hermes after flight from Ascension Island.

14th of June 1982:

Argentine forces on the Falkland Islands surrender.

The following chart shows the make up of the British combat aircraft fleet in theatre during the Falklands War.

It covers the period from the first day of air combat operations on the 1st of May to the Argentinian surrender on the 14th of May.


Reinforcements from Ascension Island or M.V. Atlantic Conveyor have been added on the day they landed on the aircraft carriers.


Losses have been deducted on the day they were lost.

Air combat operations extended over a period of 45 days.


A total of 28 Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s and 10 Harrier G.R.3s took part in combat operations.


The size of the Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 fleet ranged from 17 to 25 aircraft.


The Harrier G.R.3 fleet ranged from 3 to 6 aircraft.


The Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 fleet generated 948 aircraft days in total.


The Harrier G.R.3 fleet generated 140 aircraft days in total.




Sources vary on the number of sorties flown by Sea Harriers and Harriers during the Falklands War.


Most commonly the Royal Navy Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s are credited with 1435 sorties over the 8 weeks between the task force leaving Ascension Island on the 17th of April 1982 and the Argentinian surrender on the 14th of June.


Some sources state that 1,335 of these were "combat sorties" which presumably were flown during the 45 days of air combat operations from the 1st of May 1982.


That is an average of 1.41 sorties per Sea Harrier F.R.S.1 day.


Royal Air Force Harrier G.R.3s are generally credited with 126 combat sorties.


That is an average of 0.9 sorties per Harrier G.R.3 day.


The combat aircraft of the Royal Air Force often generate far lower sortie rates than naval air arms so the discrepancy in the above numbers is not unusual.


However,this is usually the result of the R.A.F. operating from distant land bases.


In this case the Harrier G.R.3s were operating from the same carriers as the Sea Harrier F.R.S.1s.


At least 3 Harrier G.R.3s were seriously damaged by ground fire (but not lost) during the conflict,one of which,XW919,was subsequently out of action for the remainder of the war.


With the R.A.F. Harrier G.R.3 fleet ranging from 3 to 6 aircraft during the conflict,unservicable aircraft would have had a significant impact on sortie generation.


The following figures for sorties per aircraft per day from the other major war fighting operations since 1945 put those numbers in context.




Korea 1950 - 1953:


Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm 2.5 (approximate) sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based).


(Based on various patrols by H.M.S.Ocean in 1952.


Combat aircraft of the R.A.F did not take part in this conflict.)




Suez 1956:


Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm 2.8 sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based).


Royal Air Force 1.4 sorties per aircraft per day (land based).




Falklands 1982:


Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm 1.41 sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based Sea Harriers).


Royal Air Force 0.9 sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based Harriers).


Royal Air Force 0.03 sorties per aircraft per day (land based Vulcans).




Kuwait 1990 to 1991:


United States Navy 1.25 sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based on U.S.S Ranger,U.S.S. Midway and U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt).


Royal Air Force 0.9 sorties per aircraft per day (land based).




Kosovo 1999:


United States Navy 1.09 sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based C.V.W.8 on U.S.S. Theodore Roosvelt).


Royal Air Force 0.46 (approximate) sorties per aircraft per day (land based,due to the progressive force buildup this figure probably understates the actual sortie rate).


(H.M.S.Invincible took part in this operation after being diverted while returning home from the Persian Gulf but operated well below her capacity as her Sea Harriers were given very little tasking.)




Afghanistan 2001:


United States Navy 1.1 (approximate) sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based F18 Hornets of V.F.A.15 on U.S.S.Enterprise).


United States Air Force 0.5 (approximate) sorties per aircraft per day (land based bombers on Diego Garcia).


United States Air Force 0.25 (approximate) sorties per aircraft per day (land based F15E fighters in the Persian Gulf).


(R.A.F. Tornados were also based in the Persian Gulf but took part in this operation.


Royal Navy aircraft carriers took part in the amphibious air assault role.)




Iraq 2003.


United States Navy 1.53 sorties per aircraft per day (carrier based U.S.S. Kittyhawk).


Royal Air Force 0.85 sorties per aircraft per day (land based Harriers and Tornados).


(Royal Navy aircraft carriers operated in the amphibious air assault role.)




It is clear from the above that the sortie generating performance of the Royal Navy Sea Harriers in the Falklands was comparable to that of United States Navy carrier based aircraft.


It is note worthy that British catapult equipped carriers exceeded these figures in both Korea and Suez.


During both the Falklands War and the Korean War Royal Navy aircraft carriers generated a peak of 4 sorties per aircraft per day.


Only during the Suez crisis of 1956 has the Royal Air Force managed to match the sortie rate generated by the Sea Harriers during the Falklands War.


Two distinct trends are apparent.


In every major air war that British forces have been involved in since 1945,carrier based naval aircraft have generated higher sortie rates than the land based aircraft of the Royal Air Force.


Royal Air Force combat aircraft regularly generate sortie rates which are far lower even than other land based air forces.


During the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001,the United States Air Force's strategic bombers on Diego Garcia flew sorties of similar length to those flown by Royal Air Force Vulcans on Ascension during the Falklands War.


However,the United States Air Force B1s and B52s in Afghanistan generated about 17 times as many sorties per aircraft per day as the Royal Air Force Vulcans in the Falklands.