Falklands Island - Airfield Sabotage

Updated: Mar 29, 2021

Recently we did a Pick One livestream with our friend Mike from Bloke on the Range and renowned historian Marty Morgan, but had a lot of images from the research that you may be interested in.

*Huge thanks to Marty for providing images

FYI this is based on a real mission that the SAS carried out on the Faulklands in 1982. Search for "Raid on Pebble Island".

Contributors:

Mike (Bloke on the Range)

- British small arms expert and seasoned competitive shooter who resides in Switzerland and had access to many examples that we do not in the US.

Marty Morgan (Midway512)

- Historian, published author and cable tv host who's showed historical battles first hand to the world. Also was a tour guide on the Falklands and has been to the site of this scenario.

Mission

⚔️SCENARIO⚔️: 1982, Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas

Can you hear it? The nonstop high winds that sting your face with rain droplets. It’s cold. You smell the smoke of burning jetfuel with semtex. You hear a faint chopping sound in the horizon from the blades of a Wessex HU5 helicopter…

It’s been a month since Argentinian troops had occupied the Falkland Islands, and while the Royal Navy dominates the seas, the recent sinking of HMS Coventry to the Argentinian Air Force (AAF) has no doubt emphasised the need to deny enemy air assets.

You are the ranking NCO to a small British SAS reconnaissance team of 5 troopers, and you have a new mission.

Naval Intelligence has identified a small airfield on a northern island with about a dozen aircrafts; of which the six FMA IA 58 Pucarás aircrafts and four Turbo Mentor light attack aircrafts are posing a threat to Royal Marines on their march to the capital Port Stanley.

Your team will insert via kayaks under the cover of darkness onto a beachhead about 6miles away (on the NNW of the objective) to establish a observation post (OP) for 48 hours, located within 1km of the objective. You will have limited radio contact with a main assault element, but your team shall confirm that all 10 main aircrafts are grounded prior to the attack. You estimate a company+ of Argentinean soldiers are also in the vicinity providing security to the airfield amongst the AAF maintenance and aviation personnel.

Once confirmed that all targets are on ground, the main element of 40 SAS troops will insert by helicopter from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes to destroy the objective on ground. Your team will link up with the main element, provide over-watch/ security for the sabotage element, and exfiltrate by helicopter (or kayak, if the landing zone / LZ is compromised / overrun).

If your OP is compromised / discovered before the main assault, you will have to exfiltrate on foot to the shore-side to call in for a hasty helicopter extraction, but there have been extremely heavy headwinds that have already caused multiple helicopter crashes, and the Argentinians could potentially respond with their aircrafts on the air strip that your mission is to destroy.

Local weather is rainy with high winds and the island is relatively flat with gradual terrain change.

Furthermore, the Royal Marines on the march to Port Stanely will unlikely be able to respond immediately in time due to the isolated island and the distance required to march on foot. If your position is compromised it would be best to dig in and defend against Argentinian ground forces.

👉 [Option 1] M16A1 + 240rds of 5.56x45mm NATO

👉 [Option 2] L1A1 / 4x Trilux SUIT + 160rds of 7.62x51mm NATO

Remember that you are packing all communications equipment, 72+hrs of sustenance, and all basic survival equipment. You only have hand grenades, as the main element will arrive with the main charges required.

Enemy Forces

Argentinian forces are not just push-over conscripts that one would be led to believe. However, one would presume that the Argentinian Air Force (AAF) personnel would not be the crack commandos and mechanized infantry to took the main side of the East Falklands.

Argentinian weapons are largely similar to the British weapons issued.

Argentinian Commandos that captured Royal Marines stationed at Government House.

Terrain

While the main side of the island has treacherous open terrain with mined fields and mountains, the northern Pebble Island is largely a flat, featureless island with a beachhead on the north coast.