Sea King AEW.2 Falklands War

Plastic model kit of a Westland Sea King AEW.2 early warning helicopter

• 1:72 scale
• Based on former Dragon molds
• Unassembled, unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Westland Sea King AEW.2 is closely linked to the Falklands War—though as a direct consequence of the conflict rather than as a participant in combat operations.

At the outbreak of the Falklands War in April 1982, the British aircraft carriers HMS *Hermes* and HMS *Invincible* lacked an airborne early warning (AEW) radar platform. The Fairey Gannet AEW.3 had disappeared from service following the retirement of the large British aircraft carriers in 1978. The RAF’s land-based Shackleton AEW.2s could not effectively support the fleet in the South Atlantic. This proved to be a significant disadvantage in 1982. Due to the radar horizon, low-flying Argentine A-4 Skyhawks, Daggers, and Super Étendards often could not be detected by shipborne radar until very late. An AEW platform operating at an altitude of several thousand feet would have significantly extended the radar horizon and provided the Sea Harriers with more warning time.

Consequently, an exceptionally rapid development program was launched while the war was still ongoing. Two Sea King HAS.2s were converted into interim AEW helicopters. The core component was the Searchwater radar developed by Thorn-EMI, derived from the system used on the Nimrod MR.2. A particularly distinctive feature was the large radome mounted on the rear right side of the fuselage. It was attached to a pivoting arm; in flight, the radome was lowered to give the radar antenna a largely unobstructed view, while for landing, it was swung back up against the side of the fuselage. This configuration became the defining feature of all subsequent British AEW Sea Kings. The two prototype helicopters were ready for flight within approximately eleven weeks but did not see action during actual combat operations in the Falklands War, as Argentine forces on the islands surrendered on June 14, 1982.

The first two converted Sea Kings only became operational after the conflict and deployed to the South Atlantic with 824 Naval Air Squadron (D Flight) aboard the new aircraft carrier HMS *Illustrious*. Following the war, *Illustrious* assumed duties in the Falklands region, eventually relieving HMS *Invincible*.

The Sea King AEW.2 subsequently evolved from these improvised aircraft. Additional HAS.2 airframes underwent similar conversions, and the production models entered service with 849 Naval Air Squadron in the mid-1980s.

The Sea King AEW.2 thus represented one of the Royal Navy's most immediate technical lessons from the Falklands War: the fleet required its own carrier-based early warning capability, particularly to counter very low-flying aircraft and anti-ship missiles.