It's 10 weeks into the Falklands War, and two British Harriers find themselves protecting damaged ships. Suddenly, Argentine Skyhawks appear on the horizon and a fight ensues.
While unloading on 8 June, the British ships were attacked by two waves of A-4 Skyhawks from the Argentine Air Force's 5th Air Brigade, each of them loaded with three 500 lb retarding tail bombs. At approximately 14:00 local time the ships RFA Sir Tristram and RFA Sir Galahad were badly damaged.
At 16:50 a second wave, composed by four A-4Bs of Grupo 5 hit and sank a Landing Craft Utility from HMS Fearless. Sea Harrier combat air patrol was already on scene and responded; three Skyhawks were shot down and their pilots killed, The fourth aircraft suffered combat damage and lost a large amount of fuel, but returned to the mainland assisted by a KC-130 tanker.
I've been working on a mission in DCS based on the Falklands Conflict I originally produced back in 2018, https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3102536/ specifically focusing on the air defence of British ships during the attack on RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram at Bluff Cove. The mission centres around a CAP (Combat Air Patrol) flown by British Harriers as they protect the fleet from Argentine air attacks. Flight time for this mission is over 2hrs so settle in, conserve fuel, and enjoy the flight.
Work is still in progress to refine the mission on feedback.
Mission Overview:
Time Frame: June 8, 1982
Aircraft: Sea Harriers from No. 800 NAS
Objective: Provide air cover for the British fleet and engage incoming enemy aircraft.
Key Events: These include coordination with HMS Intrepid SAR operations for downed pilots and ongoing naval bombardment at Mount Kent and Stanley.
Scenario: Harrier pilots Flt Lt Morgan and Lt Smith engage four A-4 Skyhawks and ensure the safety of British ships in a high-pressure combat environment.
Current Features:
Custom dialogue with radio calls between pilots, HMS Hermes, HMS Intrepid, Pilots and SAR units.
Dynamic enemy air attacks require a strategic response from the player.
Naval bombardment is in progress, adding an extra layer of complexity to the mission.
As close as I can find out to true events, weather and units.
Please see the DCS forum link for more information, including required mods updates:
https://forum.dcs.world/topic/357306-bluff-cove-falklands-conflict-harrier-cap-mission-wip/#comment-5514669
