The Arsenal

The Aerospatiale AM39 Exocet was an air-launched, sea-skimming anti-ship missile that became the defining weapon of the Falklands War. Fired from Argentine Super Étendard naval strike jets, the Exocet flew at near sea-level to evade radar detection, struck its target with a 165 kg warhead, and ignited devastating fires. Two missiles sank HMS Sheffield and the Atlantic Conveyor; a third damaged HMS Glamorgan. Argentina had purchased only five air-launched Exocets before the war began; their limited supply made each one a strategic asset. France, under American pressure, suspended further sales during the conflict — but the missile's effectiveness transformed anti-ship missile doctrine worldwide.

The Sea Harrier FRS.1 was a carrier-borne VTOL (Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing) jet fighter operated by the Royal Navy from HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. Armed with AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles and 30mm ADEN cannons, Sea Harriers shot down 21 Argentine aircraft in air-to-air combat without a single loss to enemy fighters — a ratio that astonished aviation experts. The Harrier's ability to 'viffing' (Vectoring In Forward Flight) gave it unique manoeuvring advantages in close combat. The aircraft were also used in ground attack roles, and their success silenced critics who had argued that VTOL jets were inherently inferior to conventional carrier aircraft.

The AIM-9L was a revolutionary upgrade to the Sidewinder heat-seeking missile that gave Britain decisive air superiority over the Falklands. Unlike earlier Sidewinder variants, the 'Lima' version was all-aspect — it could track and lock onto an aircraft's heat signature from any angle, not just from behind the hot exhaust. This meant Sea Harrier pilots could engage Argentine jets from head-on or from the side, dramatically expanding the engagement envelope. The United States supplied Britain with AIM-9Ls from its own stocks early in the crisis — a concrete act of support that Argentine commanders had not anticipated. Twenty-one Argentine aircraft were killed by Sidewinders; none of the Sea Harriers that fired them were lost in air combat.

The A-4 Skyhawk was Argentina's primary subsonic attack jet, operated by both the Argentine Air Force (A-4B/C) and Navy (A-4Q). Flying from mainland bases at San Julián and Río Grande — over 700 km from the Falklands — Skyhawk pilots had to refuel in flight and had only minutes of fuel over the target area. Despite these constraints, they displayed extraordinary courage in pressing attacks at extreme low level. Skyhawks sank HMS Ardent, Coventry, and Sir Galahad, and damaged many other vessels. Argentine pilots frequently lost aircraft to their own bombs — fused for medium altitude, the bombs didn't arm fast enough when dropped at very low level and passed through ships' hulls without detonating.

The Super Étendard was a French-built carrier-capable naval strike jet operated by Argentina's Naval Aviation Command (Comando de Aviación Naval). Argentina had received 14 aircraft and five AM39 Exocet missiles before France suspended delivery in April 1982. Argentine pilots, led by Lieutenant Commander Augusto Bedacarratz, developed tactics for ultra-low approach, missile launch, and immediate descent to avoid British radar and defences. The combination of Super Étendard and Exocet destroyed HMS Sheffield and Atlantic Conveyor and damaged HMS Glamorgan, making it the most feared Argentine weapons system of the war. French technicians who had been training Argentine crews were quietly evacuated before hostilities, though this did not prevent the Argentines from operating the system effectively.

The L1A1 SLR — a British adaptation of the FN FAL battle rifle — was the standard personal weapon of British infantry in the Falklands. Firing 7.62mm NATO ammunition, the SLR was accurate, reliable, and hard-hitting at ranges up to 600 metres. Its semi-automatic fire required more deliberate shooting than the Argentine FN FAL (essentially the same weapon in full-auto configuration), but British infantry training ensured consistent accuracy under fire. The SLR's long range proved valuable on the rocky open terrain of the Falklands hills, where fighting often occurred at distances greater than typical urban or jungle engagements. Many veterans credit the SLR's stopping power with saving lives during close-quarters fighting on Longdon and Tumbledown.

The Blowpipe was a man-portable shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile designed to give infantry units short-range air defence against low-flying attack aircraft. In the Falklands, it proved largely ineffective — operators had to guide the missile manually using a thumb joystick while tracking a fast-moving jet aircraft in the heat of combat, a task that proved extremely difficult. Blowpipe scored few confirmed kills against Argentine jets despite extensive use. The failure accelerated British investment in passive IR-homing manpads and contributed to the eventual adoption of the Javelin missile system. Blowpipe's poor performance in the Falklands became a cautionary case study in the limits of first-generation MANPAD systems against fast jets.

HMS Conqueror was a Churchill-class nuclear-powered attack submarine that achieved the only combat kill by a nuclear submarine in history when it torpedoed the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano on May 2, 1982. Armed with conventional Mk8 wire-guided torpedoes — a design dating to 1927, preferred over the more modern Tigerfish whose reliability was doubted — Conqueror tracked the Belgrano for over 30 hours before receiving authorisation to attack. Two torpedoes struck the cruiser, which sank in under 20 minutes. Conqueror's presence in the South Atlantic effectively negated Argentina's surface fleet, which never put to sea in strength again. The submarine also conducted intelligence-gathering operations throughout the war.

The Sea Wolf was a ship-launched close-in point-defence missile system designed to intercept both aircraft and anti-ship missiles at short range. In the Falklands, it proved one of Britain's most effective defensive weapons — scoring kills against Argentine aircraft during the San Carlos battles and demonstrating the ability to intercept even low-flying high-speed targets. Ships equipped with Sea Wolf — including HMS Brilliant and HMS Broadsword — provided a defensive umbrella for other vessels. The system's high success rate contrasted sharply with the failure of older sea-to-air systems. However, Sea Wolf was fitted only to Type 22 frigates; the more numerous Type 42 destroyers, including Sheffield and Coventry, lacked it — a capability gap that proved lethal.

The L118 105mm Light Gun was the Royal Artillery's standard towed field piece and the backbone of British fire support in the land campaign. Designed to be carried by helicopter and operated by a crew of six, the Light Gun fired a 16 kg shell to a maximum range of 17 km at a rate of up to eight rounds per minute. With the loss of Chinook helicopters, guns were carried as underslung loads by Sea King and Wessex helicopters — an arduous logistic feat over boggy terrain. At Goose Green, Mount Longdon, and Tumbledown, the Light Guns provided essential fire support for attacking infantry. Their crews often manhandled guns forward by brute strength across ground too soft for vehicles.