Q&A ยท 2:41:58-2:42:30

A supersonic Harrier changes the Falklands air war

A supersonic V/STOL fighter would compound Britain's range and sortie-generation advantages around the carriers.

Question

How would the Falklands War change if Britain had developed a supersonic Harrier?

Short answer

British fighters could intercept and regenerate sorties from nearby carriers while Argentine aircraft operated at the limit of their range.

Notes

Argentine aircraft already fought at the end of their radius and had little fuel for prolonged combat over the islands. Every sortie then had to return to distant mainland bases to refuel and rearm. A supersonic British carrier fighter could intercept, recover nearby, and launch again. That difference in sortie regeneration would produce a much harsher attritional contest for Argentina.