Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:55:36-3:55:59

Radar-directed 40 mm guns in the Falklands

Radar-directed 40 mm mounts worked, but the fleet had too few to exploit their value in confined waters.

Bofors 40 mmFalklands WarRadar Fire ControlRoyal Navy
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Question

Did the Royal Navy have good results with radar-directed 40 mm guns in the Falklands?

Short answer

Yes, but there were too few; wider fitting would probably have reduced ship damage.

Notes

The Royal Navy had some success with radar-directed 40 mm mounts during the Falklands campaign. The limiting problem was quantity rather than proof that the system could not work. Confined terrain and low-level attack routes made rapid, locally controlled gunfire especially useful around the ships. More such mountings would probably have reduced the damage suffered by the fleet. An effective defensive layer can still fail at fleet level when too few ships carry it.