Image:Royal Marine Blowpipe Falklands.jpg

A Royal Marine with a Blowpipe surface to air missile defends the landing site at San Carlos. The Commando Forces News Team: L/A (P) Alistair Campbell; PO Peter Holdgate; L/A Roger Ryan; and Sergeant David Munally. Blowpipe was used as an anti aircraft weapon by both sides in the Falklands was performed poorly. A British officer (Julian Thompson) compared using the weapon to "trying to shoot pheasants with a drainpipe." The official report stated that of the 95 missiles fired by the British, only 9 managed to destroy their targets and all of these were slow flying planes and helicopters [1]. A later report determined that only two kills could be attributed to Blowpipe: A British Harrier GR3 (XZ972) and a Argentine Aermacchi MB-339A (0766 (4-A-114)). Blowpipe was found to be particularly ineffective when used to engage a crossing target or to chase a target moving rapidly away from the operator. The poor performance led to it being withdrawn from UK service.

IWMCollections IWM Photo No: FKD 174

June 1982

The Commando Forces News Team: L/A (P) Alistair Campbell; PO Peter Holdgate; L/A Roger Ryan; and Sergeant David Munally