How would the Falklands War change if Britain had developed a supersonic Harrier?
Short answerBritish fighters could intercept and regenerate sorties from nearby carriers while Argentine aircraft operated at the limit of their range.
NotesArgentine 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.