Weapons of The Falklands War - Surface To Air Missiles

Surface To Air Missiles

Sea Dart was the British naval medium range Surface to air missile. It proved unable to engage low altitude targets, such as Argentine A4 Skyhawk aircraft and Exocet missiles. However it did achieve several long range kills. Sea Wolf is a British naval short range low altitude surface to air missile, used to complement the longer range Sea Dart. It proved capable of engaging low flying aircraft. Seacat and Tigercat surface to air missiles were obsolete by the Falklands War, however they were used by both sides during the conflict. The optically guided missiles were not effective, no kills can be attributed to the missiles. However they could be used in San Carlos Water where radar based systems like Sea Dart and Sea Wolf could not operate. Argentine land forces had a number of Tigercat missile launchers, there were several near misses, and possibly one Sea Harrier had its engine damaged by shrapnel from one of the missiles.

Sea Slug, a long range, high altitude anti-aircraft missile system of the 1950s, was not used against aircraft but for bombardment of positions near Port Stanley by the Royal Navy ships equipped with it.

The Blowpipe missile is British built manportable surface to air missile used by both sides during the conflict, its performed poorly – official British reports attributed 9 kills to the missile out of 95 fired. However independent research suggests that only a single kill can be attributed to the British use of the missile, an Aermacchi MB-339 that was shot down at Goose Green on 28 May 1982. Argentine forces shot down a Harrier GR3 on 21 May, probably with a Blowpipe missile fired by Primer Teniente S Fernandez of Commando Company 601 over Port Howard. The systems overall lack of success was probably due to the amount of operator input required to successfully hit a target.

British SAS special forces had acquired 6 American made Stinger missiles, however the soldier trained to use the missile was killed in a helicopter crash. By luck the first missile fired managed to bring down a Pucará on 21 May, however the lack of training meant that a further 5 missiles fired that day did not hit their targets.

Argentine forces used Soviet made SA-7 Grail man portable missiles.

Roland was a European short ranged surface to air missile. Argentine forces deployed a single launcher to defend Stanley airport, it succeeded in shooting down one Sea Harrier (XZ456) on 1 June 1982 above 10,000 feet (3000 m). The presence of the launcher forced British aircraft to operate above its envelope – typically at 18,000 feet (5,500 m) which severely reduced the accuracy of bombs dropped on the airport.