Reddit reviews Sea Harrier over the Falklands (Cassell Military Paperbacks)

Yes. That is: I recall there were two - fundamentally different - schools of thought within the RN/FAA's SHAR-units as of 1982.

• Skipper of HMS Invincible-based NAS.801, Nigel 'Sharkey' Ward, was convinced the SHAR is fully developed and an excellent platform, and taught his pilots to make use of its nav/attack system - including the Blue Fox radar. They acted correspondingly. They also flew CAPs at low altitude, where the Argentinean fighter-bombers operated. Correspondingly, they repeatedly caught and destroyed entire formations of incoming Argentinean fighter-bombers before these could cause any harm.
  
  
• Most of other RN/FAA officers haven't held the SHAR FRS.1 in high esteem. Indeed, it seems there was deep mistrust for its nav/attack systems within the HMS Hermes-based NAS.800 (to which Dave Morgan was assigned, too). Between others, SHARs from that squadron flew their CAPs at medium altitude - which is one of reasons why they missed the first formation of the Skyhawks that 'caused' the 'Catastrophe of Bluff Cove', and why Morgan then missed the second one too (arguably, he and his wingman then at least killed three from that second formation, 'but only after' these could've caused even more damage to British naval and ground units).
  
  For related discussions, see Ward's Sea Harrier over the Falklands.
  
  Curiously, Morgan didn't even try to discuss this issue in his Hostile Skies.

Ok. Interesting. Here's the memoir I read - by Sharkey Ward. There's a passage in it where low on fuel he has to make the snap decision to fire cannons at an argentinian hercules flying a mission back to Argentina.

https://www.amazon.com/Harrier-Falklands-Cassell-Military-Paperbacks/dp/0304355429

He blew the wing off, sending it down. Then 20 years later he gave an extraordinary interview with the son of the hercules pilot, very emotional -

https://perros.metro951.com/2011/04/27/malvinas-para-siempre/

There are so many things wrong in this I don't know where to start. Your knowledge of specifics is dreadful.

> we handed over enough intelligence for the Brits to sink the ARA General Belgrano, killing 323 sailors. Thankfully they did that as a WWII light cruiser would be devastating...to a pack of kittens in a life raft.

It was armed with the same Exocets that sank HMS Glamorgan and outgunned the British fleet. It was hardly benign.

> including failing to press the advantage they had with anti-ship missiles

They used all the air launched ones they had, and made valiant efforts to convert the ship based ones to fire from land, holing HMS Glamorgan in the process. What do you mean?

> it is hard to sink a ship when you don't attach fuses to the damn explosives

They had fuses; they were fused incorrectly.

> Not only did the Brits lose a destroyer to a Navy that could not fuse an explosive

The British lost 7 ships, including 2 destroyers.

> routinely couldn't use their harrier jets for day missions as the Brits balked at the cost of replacing them should they get shot down, and couldn't use them at night

That's simply incorrect. The Sea Harrier was used for night missions throughout the war. See Sea Harrier Over the Falklands by Sharkey Ward.

> Brits handed off Victoria Crosses like they had just rebuilt the Empire to its heyday

Only 2 were awarded.

> Thatcher got to show the boys that a woman can waste humans lives to distract from pressing issues on the home front as good as the boys

She didn't start the war.

> There is a lesson somewhere in all this.

Do your research.

Also: Sea Harrier Over The Falklands, by Sharkey Ward...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Harrier-Over-Falklands-PAPERBACKS/dp/0304355429

Sea Harrier over the Falklands, by Sharkey Ward. Not just for the GR.3 and FRS.1 performance in the conflict itself, but for the evaluations in the late 70s / early 80s in which Harriers got the better of USAF F-15s among other types.

Also for those interested, this is his book about his experiences operating the Harrier FRS1 in the Falklands conflict.

It's a fantastic book if you're interested in the Harrier or want to know a lot about it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Harrier-Over-Falklands-PAPERBACKS/dp/0304355429

That's also good if you want to read a pilots account of flying one in combat.