Could British Buccaneers and Sea Eagle missiles have sunk the Argentine carrier during the Falklands War?
Short answerYes, a fleet-carrier strike was plausible, and a damaged carrier that lingered could then be finished by a submarine.
NotesA carrier air strike against the Argentine carrier would be operationally plausible if Britain retained the necessary fleet carrier. Buccaneers armed with Sea Eagle missiles would attempt to score enough hits to disable or sink the ship. An Argentine carrier that remained in the area after being damaged would also become vulnerable to the British submarines already hunting it. Launching the strike is plausible, although its result remains uncertain. Carrier aviation and submarines could create sequential threats rather than competing solutions.