An alternative prequel to the Falklands conflict Now with added pictures!!

[chrisonord]

The year is 1979, and Margaret Thatcher becomes the UK's first  female Prime Minister, very soon after her inauguration she is handed a very serious problem to deal with. Said problem was at the other end of the Atlantic ocean, 7,997 miles  away to be exact, the Falkland islands. Argentine President Jorge Videla, on his seemingly never ending quest to occupy and claim lands belonging to other countries, declared the Falklands or Malvinas to the Argentines to be their property. The Argentinian navy had been tasked with putting ships around the islands to blockade the ports and also their air force was to execute a no fly zone of the islands. This of course caused some sabre rattling within the British home office and the new Prime Minister had to do something about it. the newly refitted Ark Royal and her new sister carrier Hermes were readied for the long journey to the islands to take them back, along with 6 other warships 2 of which were taken out of mothballs and recommissioned.
The Prime minister contacted the Argentinian President to make him change his mind about what he was doing, but he said the only ships and aircraft allowed through the blockade will be from those leaving never to return. In a public speech live for all the world to see, the Prime minister in the manner she became famous for told the worlds press that she had given ample warning to President Videla to remove his forces from around the Falklands or a task force of such magnitude would drop upon his navy and air force , and wipe them from the face of the earth. She proceeded to tell the press that the newly refitted Ark Royal was armed with a new super sonic highly lethal air wing consisting of both Phantoms, and sea Jaguars. several people in the know amongst the press sniggered, as there was no such thing as a sea Jaguar, and only the French made one prototype that was cancelled in favour of the super etendard. This declaration had the media and military journalists in stitches, saying that there were no such aircraft as "sea Jaguars". This didn't help the with removing the Argentines either as they just laughed and ridiculed the Prime minister. But 2 days later those people who ridiculed her were forced to eat their words and and be quiet as a government short documentary was released and broadcast on the BBC. The documentary was about the recommissioning of several mothballed naval vessels and the refit of the Ark Royal, which was destined to be scrapped. In the part about the Ark Royal, the new air wing was  was deliberately  glanced over, but enough was shown for everyone to see some new aircraft with new weapons. These aircraft were 2 seat navalised Jaguar aircraft, similar to the French prototype, but without the longer wings . Wing folds couldn't be made out so that remained an unknown. The landing gear was upgraded and so was the avionics. Janes military aviation publishers had been given some limited information not long after the documentary had been shown and they immediately  published the data in a new magazine. the new sea Jaguar was built with the help of the SEPECAT department involved in the French Jaguar M, with a few alterations. The airframes were strengthened for naval use and new avionics were installed to use the newly acquired  AGM-84 Harpoon missile, of which 4 could be carried, and be able to carry self defense  sidewinder and or Skyflash  air to air missiles, as well as every other weapon in the fleet air arms inventory. The upgraded engines gave the aircraft super sonic capability at very low level including over the sea, and the missiles gave safe stand off anti ship strike capability. The Argentines were no longer laughing, as intel suggested that the Ark Royal would be carrying 15 of these aircraft, and would be a highly lethal threat to their navy. No other pictures were seen of these aircraft until some sceptics said they were staged props and that the aircraft shown were nothing but glammed up trainers. 3 days later 10 of the Jaguars did a fly by at an Admirals retirement ceremony, and they were seen by the public properly this time. By now our prime minister had grown annoyed with the Argentine President, and told him you have the time it takes for our task force to sail to the Falklands to disband your blockade, and if anything untoward happens in the meantime we shall consider it an act of war and deal with you as such.
Been a while since I made such an epic back story for a build, I shall get some pictures taken tomorrow in some hopefully better light. The build is from the resurrected  Frog 2 seater Jaguar that Nick sent to me, it has a few bits missing but I have modified it to suit, I could have put a bit more effort in to it but I had ideas for the F-106 I have nearly completed floating around.
Chris.

[PR19_Kit]

....Margaret Thatcher becomes the UK's first Prime Minister.....

Really? What happened to Winston Churchill etc? 

[chrisonord]

....Margaret Thatcher becomes the UK's first Prime Minister.....

Really? What happened to Winston Churchill etc? 

Yet another  missing word (s) bad spelling  presentation  by Chrisonord   halfarsedery LTD 

[scooter]

....Margaret Thatcher becomes the UK's first Prime Minister.....

Really? What happened to Winston Churchill etc? 

William Pitt, William Pitt the Younger, and William Pitt the Even Younger would like to have a word with you.

There's a key word I think he forgot.

[Rheged]

Even Bill Pitt the Infant wants to add his grumble!!

Seriously, this is a most interesting idea.

[Scotaidh]

As does Pitt the gleam in the milkman's eye ... to finish out the Blackadder bit. 

Chis, pay no attention to them - it's a grand backstory, other than I thought the Argentine PM was Galtieri. 

I just looked through the list of Argentine PMs - there's quite a list.  It seems made for that schoolboy remark that "Revolution is a form of government abroad."

[chrisonord]

As does Pitt the gleam in the milkman's eye ... to finish out the Blackadder bit. 

Chis, pay no attention to them - it's a grand backstory, other than I thought the Argentine PM was Galtieri. 

I just looked through the list of Argentine PMs - there's quite a list.  It seems made for that schoolboy remark that "Revolution is a form of government abroad."

Videla was previous to Galtieri, and caused a  few problems with  Chile over some islands they both were fond of.
Chris

[Scotaidh]

As does Pitt the gleam in the milkman's eye ... to finish out the Blackadder bit. 

Chis, pay no attention to them - it's a grand backstory, other than I thought the Argentine PM was Galtieri. 

I just looked through the list of Argentine PMs - there's quite a list.  It seems made for that schoolboy remark that "Revolution is a form of government abroad."

Videla was previous to Galtieri, and caused a  few problems with  Chile over some islands they both were fond of.
Chris

Gotcha. 

[zenrat]

How long would it have taken for a Resolution class sub to have got within Polaris range of Buenos Airies?

[PR19_Kit]

How long would it have taken for a Resolution class sub to have got within Polaris range of Buenos Airies?

4-5 days maybe? Starting from Faslane anyway.

[scooter]

How long would it have taken for a Resolution class sub to have got within Polaris range of Buenos Airies?

4-5 days maybe? Starting from Faslane anyway.

Assuming a cruising speed of 15 knots (and some rough, back of the napkin calculations courtesy of Google Earth), 11-ish days to maximum firing range.  If running 100% on the reactor, and not caring who's around to hear, just shy of 7 days at 25 knots

Red arc= 2500 NM radius circle, centered roughly on Buenos Aires
Blue line = 4100 NM plot from Faslane

[PR19_Kit]

Close counts.............. 

[Doug K]

I've always theorised that Healy's cancellation of CVA-01 cause the Falklands. If the Ark has still been in commission, she probably wouldn't have needed Sea Jags, the Buccaneers (and Phantoms) would have been reasonably scary.
But don't let that get in the way of a Sea Jag build - I did a 1/144th scale one a million years ago

[nighthunter]

LTV Corsair II FA.1?

[chrisonord]

LTV Corsair II FA.1?

A corsair  2 seater  could  yet join the 1970's  royal navy, or a single seater if I  can't find another  2 seater.