Page 83 - Demo

83afternoon of 3 June. The disembarkation of No 63 Sqn from all threevessels was delayed by the priority given to Army personnel and thesquadron did not land until late in the day %u2013 and in a completelyhaphazard sequence.DeploymentThe Squadron Commander had received no directions from the ForceCommander, did not know where his Rapiers and vehicles were and hadno time for reconnaissance and the consequent planning of his Rapierpositions. It was rather like a re-run of the WW II landings in NorthAfrica and Sicily but, with the Regiment%u2019s long experience in creatingorder out of chaos, the squadron rapidly reorganised and began to deployin terrain very different from the North German plain, without theadvantages of prior reconnaissance or direction from higher authority.However %u2013 and despite these little local difficulties %u2013 by the afternoonof 3 June all eight Rapier systems were operational in defence of theHarrier strip at Port San Carlos. Six Rapiers had been airlifted byWessex helicopters to sites on surrounding hills and two were positionedin the valley. SOPs were agreed with OC 1 Sqn and the OC FOB so thataircraft entered and left the defended area via Fanning Head and%u2018Weapons Tight%u2019 was in force for all aircraft movements. This workedwell for the fixed-wing aircraft but the lack of IFF in the helicopter forcecaused problems for the Rapier fire control radars which werecontinually locking on to those helicopters which flew within their range.When this occurred the only solution was to shut down the RapierBlindfire system, which in turn seriously degraded the ground based airdefences.Whether the presence of eight Rapiers acted as a deterrent, or becausethe Argentine Air Force had decided beforehand not to engage incounter-air operations, there were no enemy air attacks on the HarrierFOB and on 30 June No 63 Sqn was redeployed to Port Stanley airfieldwhere it established the framework of the long-term GBAD for theairfield until it was relieved by another Rapier squadron in September.Leaving its heavy equipment in situ, No 63 Sqn returned to RAFG%u00fctersloh by air in two lifts on 4 and 15 September.LessonsThe last-minute transfer of No 63 Sqn from HQ 5 Bde wasunfortunate in that HQ CLFFI did not have the capability to exercise