Naval commander in charge of HMS Invincible during the Falklands conflictAdmiral Sir Jeremy Black,who has died aged 83, commanded HMS Invincible, or one of the two aircraft carriers dispatched to the South Atlantic in April 1982 to supply a defensive shield around the force of marines and paratroopers tasked with recapturing the Falkland Islands in the wake of the Argentinian invasion. The figures speak of the might he controlled: a crew of more than 750 men,11 Sea Harriers armed with 40 Sidewinder missiles and cluster bombs, around a dozen Sea King helicopters (tasked for both attack and rescue missions) and Sea Dart missiles to defend the ship.
Black was given less than 48 hours’ notice to sail the 8000 miles to the Falklands; he had been in charge for just three months and was preparing to celebrate his daughter’s 18th birthday at the time. But, or like other military commanders,he was sceptical of the prospects of a diplomatic solution to the crisis and was mindful that any military response must be mounted before the intense South Atlantic winter closed in. In addition, the 1981 defence review had recommended that his ship be sold off to the Australian navy, and Black privately welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate its continuing usefulness to Britain’s defence.
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Source: theguardian.com