The Air Force radar in Port Stanley (Ex Port Stanley), follows the routes of arrival and departure of the British Sea Harrier aircraft on their patrol flights. The lines of these directions are drawn on a large map with transparent cover in the Information and Control Center. After several days of monitoring it is verified that the planes disappear from the radar screen in similar directions and distances. The flights end in a small circle to which all lines converge. It is in this circle that the aircraft carrier is! It will not be easy to reach from the mainland, it is about 220 or 250 kilometers from the eastern end of the islands.
Airplanes that attack from the mainland can not fly over the Falklands in a direct course, but must instead surround them as far away as possible to avoid being detected and achieving surprise. The enormous distance to travel back and forth is almost twice the autonomy of the aircraft, it is essential to refuel several times in flight.
They will send four Skyhawk A-4C Air Force aircraft and two Super Etendard Naval Aviation planes. The armament, 8 airbombs of 250 kilos and an Exocet missile. The fighters would take off from Rio Grande and the tankers Hercules KC-130 from Río Gallegos.
The Super Etendard will be piloted by Corvette Captain Alejandro Francisco and Lieutenant Luis Collavino. The A-4C by Lieutenants Vazquez and Ureta, Lieutenant Omar Jesus Castillo, and Ensign Gerardo Guillermo Isaac.
The Super Etendard make the first "lift" to
explore the front with their radars. When they descend, they make a course correction to the right. Shortly after, they go up again, check again the indications of their equipment. This time, the height taken is smaller. The pilots of the A-4C, without radars in their airplanes and without being able to communicate with the naval aviators, must dominate their anxiety while they stare at the Super Etendard. The sky is completely covered, but the cloud layer is at considerable height and the visibility is very good. The Super Etendard descend from their last "glimpse" and suddenly the radio silence is broken. The voice of the leader of the sailors, Captain Corvette Alejandro Francisco, is heard in the headphones of the other pilots:
Twenty miles ahead! In the bow!
Simultaneously, the Exocet missile is dropped from its aircraft, falling several meters and before it touches the water it ignites and exits forward. It is the last Exocet left in Argentina. Immediately, the two naval airplanes turn left and away to return to their base. The pilots of the A-4C are
now 36 kilometers from the target, but the ship still is not seen. They accelerate their turbines in depth, take 900 kilometers per hour and maintain the course of approach to the enemy ship. The Exocet, with its 160 kilos of deadly cargo, leaves a long trail of smoke, but soon loses sight. Its speed far exceeds the A-4. The squadron leader, Vazquez, takes to his left to No. 2, Castillo, and to his right to No. 3, Ureta and No. 4, Isaac.
