Page 79 - Demo

79supported by some fifty groundcrew. When an AAR-extended sortie wasrequired to survey the TF exclusion zone or the approaches to Argentineports, at least seven Victor tankers plus spares were required to supportthe outbound two tanking slots, plus a further pair of Victors to providethe inbound tanking. However, if priority for the long range effort wasgiven to Vulcan or Hercules tasks, the Nimrods had to be left to theirown devices in terms of fuel, unless we could scrounge a few thousandpounds from a returning tanker.The improved capability that the MR2 provided was welcome. But ithas to be said that there was minimal operational experience with thepowerful new sensors. On occasion this did lead to somewhatoverconfident reporting of radar contacts %u2013 to the chagrin of AdmWoodward. But hindsight provides perfect vision; at the time all oursensors had indicated %u2018warships%u2019. (Perhaps the call would not have beenmade if we had had sight of the %u2018big%u2019 picture?)The ability to fly sorties of up to 24 hours %u2013 a limit imposed by engineoil consumption %u2013 also required extra crew, usually a tanking pilot, anadditional air engineer and sometimes a navigator (and for the sorties ontask near to the Argentine coast, some %u2018communications and language%u2019specialists were also tolerated!). The increased endurance demandedadditional potable water capacity, galley stowage plus, of course, anextra portaloo! It was also the first time in my maritime experience that Iwas issued with an immersion suit. Although their efficacy in thetropical climate of ASI was questionable, they were a reassuring additionwhen we arrived in the colder southern latitudes.Great changes were wrought to our weapons capability. The Nimrod,already blessed with a cavernous bomb bay plus underwing hard points,now gradually added to its armoury: 1000 lb HE retarded bombs; up tothree of the new (still on trials) Stingray ASW torpedo; up to twoHarpoon anti-ship missiles; two or four Sidewinders; and IR flares.Although none of these were used in anger, it did represent quite anarsenal. It gave a real sense of capability to operate 3500 nms from homewith the ability to hit anything that moved under, on or above the water,and still be able to offer SAR assistance!This period of conflict and equipment changes, not surprisingly,brought its share of challenges. The initial range and endurance problem,as we have seen, was overcome by AAR. The many modificationsimposed steep learning curves as SOPs and checklists on increasingly