Page 105 - Demo

105No 1 Sqn%u2019s Harriers ranged on Hermes.dedicated to the attack role. In this capacity we carried out the full gamutof offensive support missions, ranging from offensive counter-air toclose air support and armed reconnaissance.The aims of the offensive counter-air missions were twofold; first, todeny the use of Stanley airfield and the various outlying strips and,secondly, to destroy aircraft in the open. Low level laydown typedeliveries were flown against a number of the airstrips, such as GooseGreen, whilst against the runway at Stanley a great variety of profileswas used. Laydown attacks were successful in hitting the runway but, inthe process, the aircraft were particularly vulnerable to the Argentineanair defences, and the resulting damage not very extensive. On the otherhand, while high angle and loft deliveries kept aircraft out of range fromground defences, the accuracy of weapons delivery was poor. In thiscontext it is worth recalling that because of the inability to align theINAS properly, all weaponeering was done using a fixed sight.Nevertheless, while the runway at Stanley remained open to Herculesand Pucara type aircraft, the Argentineans were not able to use the