Outnumbered And Outgunned This Extraordinary Harrier Pilot Fights His Way To Victory

Don’t Falk Around.

After over 200 years of tensions, the Falkland Islands were invaded by the Argentinian Military reclaiming them from Great Britain. The island territory had long been considered a colony of Great Britain and this military coup, did not sit well. After a few days, the British Military dispatched a carrier fleet to take back the island.

The Royal Navy knew that first line of defense would be the Argentine Air Force. As impressive as the British Fleet was it would be going into this conflict completely outnumbered and outgunned. Rising to the challenge were British Sea Harriers which were dispatched to survey the area before the ships could get too close.

“The British “Jump Jets” were heading to their baptism of fire, vastly outnumbered by proven supersonic weapons systems such as the Mirage III and the Mirage V Dagger, and no one really knew how it would perform against a real world shooting opponent; the Royal Navy’s Harriers had been up against F-5Es, F-4s and F-15s in Dissimilar Air Combat Training and more than held its own.”

Lt. Commander David Morgan was a pilot during the Falklands War, he knew going in that the mere 21 Harriers would have an uphill battle against some 180 fighter jets from the Argentine Air Force. As he flew over the Falklands to inspect the carnage of the invasion, he was ambushed by four fighter jets. Morgan’s years of training kicked in and he fought them head on despite being outnumbered. His interview on the desperate battle can be viewed in this clip.