page_title: History of the Special Air Service
section_title: Operation Mikado
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Special Air Service / Falklands War / Operation Mikado
caption_attribution_description: 4 SAS troopers parachute down to HMS Cardiff (in to the sea close by) one thousand miles from the TEZ
context_page_description: The History of the British Army's Special Air Service or SAS regiment begins with its formation during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, and continues to the present day. It includes their early operations in North Africa, the Greek Islands, and the Invasion of Italy. They then returned to the United Kingdom and were formed into a brigade with two British, two French and one Belgian regiment. The SAS Brigade then conducted operations in France, Italy again, the Low Countries and finally into Germany.
  After the war the SAS were disbanded only to be reformed as a Territorial Army regiment, which then led onto the formation of the regular army 22 SAS Regiment. The new regiment has taken part in most of the United Kingdom's small wars since then. However the Ministry of Defence does not comment on special forces matters, therefore little verifiable information exists in the public domain on the regiment's recent activities.
  At first, service in the SAS was considered an end to an officer's career progression, however in recent years SAS officers have risen to the highest ranks in the British Army.
context_section_description: Operation Mikado was the code name for the planned landing of B Squadron, SAS at the Argentinian airbase at Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego. The initial plan was to crash land two C-130 Hercules carrying B Squadron onto the runway at Port Stanley to bring the conflict to a rapid conclusion. B Squadron arrived at Ascension Island 20 May the day after the fatal Sea King crash. They were just boarding the C-130s when word came that the operation had been cancelled.
  After Mikado had been cancelled B Squadron were called upon to parachute into the South Atlantic to reinforce D Squadron. They were transported south by the two C-130s equipped with long-range fuel tanks. Only one of the aircraft reached the jump point the other had to turn back with fuel problems. The parachutists were then transported to the Falkland Islands by HMS Andromeda.
caption: B Squadron team parachute from a C-130 Hercules into the South Atlantic
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