Alternatives to Ascension?

[oudi14]

In April of 1982, as the fleet steamed south, my dad and I were discussing the coming fight. We were both fairly suer that it was going to come to blows, and we knew that the British would need an FBO to launch operations against the Falklands, but couldn't think of where. [Neither of us guessed Ascension.] I speculated about such preposterous choices as Simonstown, SA, or possibly even Guyana. Dad wondered if it could be Tristan da Cunha, until I pointed out that Tristan has no airfield. The first two were non-starters for political reasons if nothing else, plus Guyana is much too far away.
But suppose that Ascension doesn't exist. Where could they have gone? Or would they have had to go ahead and just depend on the carriers for everything, maybe using Tristan in some way. At least it isn't too far away,somewhat closer than Ascension, and it is British. Any thoughts?

 

[AaniiNichi]

What if they were to retake South Georgia, and would there be an area large enough to build an airstrip that could take more harriers for defense or fighters with greater range such as the F4 on a quick notice and maybe Hercules transports.

This would be 1400 km from from the Falkands they could setup a defensive barrier until enough resources and fighters could be delivered best part out of range of Argentina land base aircraft

you would need tanker support also to reach and fight over Falklands
would that be feasible

 

[oudi14]

Distancewise this would work, but that is about all. I doubt there is enough flat land on South Georgia to build an airfield long enough for Phantoms and the like. Same as on Tristan. Also, the logistics of getting the necessary equippment to South Georgia to build a field would probably be too much. It would be slightly easier to get it to Tristan, but this location is farther away from the Falklands.

 

[The Oncoming Storm]

How about St. Helena? There is a project to build an airport there so there is suitable ground, in a scenario where Ascension isn't available to Britain St. Helena would probably have been developed up earlier. Currently supplies are airlifted to Ascension before being shuttled to St Helena by ship, no Ascension probably means a direct air link happens sooner.

As for Tristan and the Falklands War, in Vulcan 607 the aircrews flying the Black Buck missions had it marked for where they could bailout near a friendly shore if they were short of fuel.