HMS Invincible kept three Sea Kings airborne during part of the Falklands War, with a participant recalling an even larger ripple at peak demand. A ripple is a rotating readiness cycle rather than a single mass launch. Aircraft move between the patrol, preparation, and maintenance states so the next machine is ready before the one overhead must recover. The concept explains how fuel, servicing, and crew scheduling determine continuous anti-submarine coverage as much as the total number of helicopters aboard.
Notable Point · 1:24:43-1:30:15
Helicopter ripple cycles sustain continuous ASW coverage
A helicopter ripple keeps some aircraft airborne while others refuel, receive maintenance, or prepare to relieve them, turning a small air group into persistent ASW coverage.