page_title: Weapons of the Falklands War
section_title: Surface-to-air missiles
hierarchical_section_title: Weapons of the Falklands War / Surface-to-air missiles
context_page_description: These are some of the key weapons of the Falklands War used by both sides.
context_section_description: Sea Dart was the British naval medium-range surface-to-air missile. It proved unable to engage low-altitude targets, such as Argentine A4 Skyhawk aircraft and Exocet missiles. However, it did achieve several long-range kills.
  Sea Wolf is a British naval short-range low-altitude surface-to-air missile, used to complement the longer-range Sea Dart. It proved capable of engaging low-flying aircraft.
  Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army to replace their towed Bofors 40/L70 anti-aircraft guns. Though not particularly effective in terms of number of 'kills' – its presence acted as a deterrent, especially after the deployment of Blind Fire systems around Port San Carlos.
  Seacat and Tigercat surface-to-air missiles were obsolete by the Falklands War; however, they were used by both sides during the conflict. The optically guided missiles were not effective; no kills can be attributed to the missiles. However, they were able to be used in San Carlos Water, where radar-based systems like Sea Dart and Sea Wolf could not operate. Argentine land forces had a total of 7 Tigercat missile launchers (Ex RAF); there were several near misses, and possibly one Sea Harrier had its engine damaged by shrapnel from one of the missiles.
  Sea Slug, a long range, high altitude anti-aircraft missile system of the 1950s, was not used against aircraft but for bombardment of positions near Port Stanley by the Royal Navy ships equipped with it.
  The Blowpipe missile is a British built man-portable surface-to-air missile used by both sides during the conflict. It performed poorly; official British reports attributed nine kills to the missile out of 95 fired. However, independent research suggests that only a single kill can be attributed to the British use of the missile, an Aermacchi MB-339 that was shot down at Goose Green on 28 May 1982. Argentine forces shot down a Harrier GR3 on 21 May, probably with a Blowpipe missile fired by Primer Teniente S Fernandez of Commando Company 601 over Port Howard. The system's overall lack of success was probably due to the amount of operator input required to successfully hit a target.
  British SAS special forces had acquired 6 American-made Stinger missiles; however, the soldier trained to use the missile was killed in a helicopter crash. By luck the first missile fired managed to bring down a Pucará on 21 May; however, the lack of training meant that a further five missiles fired that day did not hit their targets.
  Argentine forces used Soviet-made SA-7 Grail man portable missiles.
  Roland was a European short-range surface-to-air missile. Argentine forces deployed a single launcher to defend Stanley airport; it succeeded in shooting down one Sea Harrier (XZ456) on 1 June 1982 above 10,000 feet (3000 m). The presence of the launcher forced British aircraft to operate above its envelope – typically at 18,000 feet (5,500 m) which severely reduced the accuracy of bombs dropped on the airport. The single Roland unit was later shipped back to Britain for analysis and testing.
caption: A Roland missile being launched during American tests on the system
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