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21and meanwhile we had to make do with what we had.The CinC%u2019s first call for air support, after the establishment of theairbridge to Ascension, was for surveillance over the waters throughwhich the various elements of the Task Groups were transiting. This wascarried out by Mk 1 Nimrods operating from St Mawgan and Gibraltar.As the Fleet moved further south it was necessary to deploy Nimrod toAscension. But this deployment was delayed by fuel problems atAscension.The, albeit remote, threat to Ascension from Argentine seaborneforces, and/or aircraft, was an early, and constant, concern. A SovietELINT vessel was permanently stationed three miles off the runway, andwe did not know if it was providing information to the enemy, andArgentinean merchant vessels, which could have been carrying assaultpersonnel, had been detected in adjacent sea areas. Furthermore, andperhaps more significantly, it was judged that, as the Argentine Herculeshad an AAR capability, Ascension was a possible target for a limitedairborne assault. The DIS discounted any such threat; not a view sharedby the CinC and Air Commander, and defensive measures were put inplace. The Navy provided a guard ship; Nimrods flew surveillancesorties; a radar from the UK was positioned on the highest point of theisland and, pending the arrival of Phantoms, air defence cover wasprovided by Harriers waiting to deploy south.After the Task Force left Ascension a small group led by HMSAntrim was detached from the main fleet in great secrecy to repossessSouth Georgia. This group had to be supported beyond the range of theNimrod and to provide the necessary surveillance Victors, to operate inthe MRR role were deployed to Ascension. Supported by AAR Victorsthese aircraft covered the areas down to South Georgia some 3000 milesfrom Ascension. The Victor continued in this role until the arrival of theAAR capable, Searchwater radar equipped, Nimrod Mk 2. This radarcould detect and classify surface contacts from high level and long range.You will hear more of this later but I believe, with hindsight, that wewere expecting too much, too soon, of this newly introduced and verysophisticated equipment.Following the recapture in late April of South Georgia the Task Forceturned its attention to the Falklands. The CinC was concerned thatArgentinean fighter/attack aircraft would be able to operate from Stanleyand pose a threat to his ships, particularly the carriers. To deny high