Argie fury at ace jets on islands

[Scott]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w10/StonedSOD/SNN2206JETS_682_893714a.jpgSophisticated warplane ... the Typhoon

By JOHN KAY
RAF chiefs have enraged Argentina by sending four of their most sophisticated superjets to the Falklands.

The £60million Typhoons are already posted on the South Atlantic isles after slipping out of the UK last week.

They are now the most sophisticated war jets in the southern hemisphere. Argentina, who went to war with us in 1982 over the Falklands, is understood to have made a formal protest.

The Typhoon can be used as a fighter and a bomber. It flies at twice the speed of sound and is far more manoeuvrable than the Tornado it replaces.

Its missile system even knows the target the pilot is looking at using helmet sensors. A senior RAF source said: "The Argentines are unhappy but it's our duty to provide the best possible defence of the Falklands."

[GTFPDQ]

Im glad that the MoD decided to do this. From F-4 Phantoms, to F-3 Tornadoes, now the Typhoon.

They flew down using in-flight refueling and the only markings were the aircrafts airframe number.

[ghost]

Interesting. I didn't know that this was still a sore subject for Argentina.

[bobdina]

Final mission for Tornados

For the past 17 years, 111 Squadron from RAF Leuchars in Fife have been providing fighter jets to patrol the skies over the Falklands Islands.

But now new Typhoon jets from an English-based squadron are taking over and the pilots, crews and planes from Fife are heading home. BBC reporter Cameron Buttle flew 8,000 miles to see the final missions of the Leuchars Tornados.

Out of the thick blanket of white cloud below us a Tornado jet sweeps majestically up to sit on the wing of the passenger jet taking us to the Falkland Islands.

We've just entered Falklands, and therefore British, airspace and the fighter jets of 111 Squadron from RAF Leuchars have been scrambled to meet us. This is how they practise intercepting aircraft illegally flying over the Falklands.

One fighter will glide underneath the jet, a procedure to ensure no "hostile" aircraft is using the passenger jet to hide their profile, or signature, on the radar screens below.

It's quite a momentous occasion handing over to the Typhoon jets
Flight Lieutenant Sarah Carmichael
RAF Leuchars

As we land, the Mount Pleasant Airbase comes into view. It's a drab collection of buildings spread over a few square miles of bleak and barren Falklands landscape.

When the Argentinians invaded in 1982 there was no significant military presence on the islands. Now there are more than 1,000.

The main reason for this vast base is the QRA - quick reaction alert. That's two Tornado jets, the pilots and the ground flight crews sitting waiting to scramble, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Within minutes, the fully-armed jets will be airborne and ready to intercept.

For 17 years QRA has been provided by aircraft from RAF Leuchars in Fife.

Today, Flight Lieutenant Sarah Carmichael from Edinburgh is on QRA. As she sits in the crew room her flight suit is zipped to her waist, her helmet hangs on a peg a few feet away.

"I think there is a lot of surprise that we're still doing this job down in the Falklands," said Sarah who works as a weapons systems officer. She sits in the back of one of the Tornados.
Tornado F3 in flight
The Tornados have been used in the Falklands for the last 17 years

She's proud to be one of the last squadrons to fly the Tornados. "Not only is this an amazing place to fly, it's quite a momentous occasion handing over to the Typhoon jets," she said.

It's a rough and treacherous hour's drive from the base to the island's capital Port Stanley, only 4x4s can make this journey safely, even on a reasonably fine day on dirt tracks.

The landscape is stark, dramatic and bleak. Stanley itself is a clutter of brightly-painted houses where about 2,000 of the 3,000 islanders live.

Everyone I met on a brief wander through the streets was adamant that the large military presence in the Falklands was vital.

Back at base, word has got round that the Typhoons are due in. It's an emotional moment for many, a piece of RAF history coming to an end has two Tornados and two Typhoons fly overhead in an immaculate formation.

The Leuchars Tornados will be dismantled, boxed up and sent back to the UK in the coming weeks.

Treble One Sqdn will still provide QRA cover for the northern UK air space from Leuchars. Right now crews there are sitting in flights suits ready to scramble into jets and be airborne in minutes.

But no longer can the Fife Squadron say they provide cover from the Faroes to the Falklands - and when the new Typhoon jet arrives at the base next year, the very future of Treble One squadron itself will be under review

[Scott]

wow, excellent post Bob, i really enjoyed reading that, i know abit about falklands but not alot, any chance some1 could provide me with a link to the history of falklands?

[bobdina]

Here's some
http://www.historyofwaronline.com/Falklands.html <-- most in depth about the war

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6499565.stm

http://www.falklands.info/history/82timeline.html

http://www.btinternet.com/~brentours/HIST18.htm <-- a lot of history of the Islands

[Scott]

Thanks bob, much aprpeciated m8y.

[Bisley_Bob]

As far as i'm concerned the Argies can do one. We have the right to defend our land however we damn well please.

[Reactor-Axe-Man]

I was actually shocked by the continuing hostility of the Argies in youtube threads about the war that I've looked through over the last couple days. Most of these armchair warriors weren't even born when it happened.

[GTFPDQ]

Its the same recipe, poor economy, poor job market, nobody listens (bleet bleet), they stole our islands. Britain bad.

I celebrated my 22nd birthday on the islands, they were most definitely British. So like Rob said, the argies can do one.

[ghost]

I celebrated my 22nd birthday on the islands, they were most definitely British.


Interesting. How was that? Any cool war memorial sites? I'm sure it would be interesting to visit Goose Green.

[GTFPDQ]

Interesting. How was that? Any cool war memorial sites? I'm sure it would be interesting to visit Goose Green.

I was 22 in 1982. There were no memorials, just thankful faces that it was over and sadness for the loss of life.

[Reactor-Axe-Man]

I watched a video on the HMS Coventry that had reenactments and interviews with the crew. Even though they're skimmer pukes, I felt a lot of solidarity with them and what they went through. I loved the fact that even though the survivors of the attack are sitting in lifeboats watching their ship go down, they all started whistling and singing along to Life of Brian's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." It was that surreal moment of absurdity in the face of the horrifying that I think binds all members of the armed forces across all nations and all branches of the service.

[ghost]

I was 22 in 1982. There were no memorials, just thankful faces that it was over and sadness for the loss of life.


Ah, I hear ya. Didn't realize that it was so long ago.

[Bisley_Bob]

A mate of mine is from the Falklands, apparently there are big silver (not actual silver, but silver coloured metal) crosses on the hilltops where the major battles took place. When he goes out hiking he sometimes takes a pot of brasso and polishes them. Also, the place is still littered with war debris like artillery pieces and stuff which is a memorial of sorts I guess.

[GTFPDQ]

I know a lot of cairns with brass plaques have been built at Longdon, Wireless Ridge, Tumbledown and Kent. When I was last there in 87, there were crosses put up by both islanders and the garrison.

Talked to a mate, he told me there are old ammo cans lefts at the cairns with cleaning kits for the brass plates. Now that is a way for travelers to pay their respects.

[dmaxx3500]

didn't the brits loose a ship to a ''chinese '' silk worm ? missle,

[GTFPDQ]

No, bombs and exocets.

However, by looking to see if there were any web pages about it, I found that USS Missouri had a close call in the 91 Gulf War, but HMS Gloucester detected, engaged and destroyed the missile using the Sea Sart.