Royal Navy helicopter and jet set for sea voyage to Falklands museum
TWO Royal Navy aircraft are on an 8,000-mile journey to become centrepieces of a new museum in the Falklands.
A retired Sea Harrier jump jet and Lynx helicopter will feature in an exhibition dedicated to the people who liberated the Falklands from Argentine rule in 1982.
The museum, in the capital Stanley, has an existing gallery recounting the story of the conflict, but it is expanding it and adding a new hall for larger exhibits – including the two veteran aircraft.
Of the two aircraft selected for the museum, only the Lynx saw service in the 1982 campaign, although other Sea Harriers played a role in the conflict.
Lynx XZ725 operated from frigate HMS Brilliant and attacked and crippled the Argentine submarine Santa Fe in South Georgia during the opening moves of the war.
The Sea Harrier ZH801 served until 2004 since when it has acted as a ‘hangar guardian’ on display at RAF Cottesmore and more recently at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton
Neither are able to fly to the Falklands, or be transported by air, so moving them by sea is the only option. The military’s experts in such delicate moves – the Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron (JARTS) – were called in to disassemble the Harrier.
Overseeing the move for JARTS is Chief Petty Officer Stewart Wright, a former Harrier engineer who maintained the aircraft at sea and on land, including tours of duty in Afghanistan.
“I began my career on Harriers so the aircraft means a lot to me and I’m just glad to be able to deliver this one back to the Falklands where it means so much to them,” hesaid.
“We went to the Falklands to prepare the move and it’s evident how passionate the islanders are and how much the Sea Harrier means to them – it’s a symbol of their freedom, so they are really keen to have one on display.”
Both aircraft were moved from Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, to Marchwood Military Port, Southampton Water, for loading on to a Falklands-bound supply ship which sails next week.
They are due to arrive in the Falklands in time for liberation day events in June and will be kept in storage while the new exhibition hall is completed. It is due to open to the public in 2025.