First excerpt
[Admirals Lewin and Fieldhouse stand side by side in uniform being questioned by journalists outside Fleet headquarters at Northwood]Admiral Lewin
Oh not at all. No air defence can be a hundred per cent. No air defence anywhere can be a hundred per cent. We warned ministers before this started that military operations involve risk. Sheffield was unlucky to have this small percentage of bad luck.Journalist
Was human error a factor at all in the loss of the Sheffield?Admiral Lewin
Not at all, [journalist continues speaking, words inaudible] it was just one of those things. You can't be one hundred per cent in today’s warfare, with missile attack. She was very well equipped. These things happen [waves hand]. … The Exocet is a very good missile, otherwise we wouldn't have bought it ourselves and she had that small percentage of bad luck that failed to beat off the attack and she was hit. And no ship is safe from being sunk, no matter how big it is. Even the Nimitz. And particularly from fire.Journalist
Are you confident that the deployment of Nimrods is going to reduce that threat now?Admiral Lewin
It’ll certainly help. And this has been a magnificent modification to the Nimrod they have achieved in two or three weeks, equipping the Nimrod for in-flight refuelling, doing the trials, training up the crews. And if I'd asked for that to be done in normal peacetime, I'd have been told it would be ready in two years time. [Lewin and Fieldhouse smile slightly]Second excerpt
Admiral Lewin
Not shocked, because as I said, no military operation is without risk. And we expected losses and we warned ministers of losses, so they were not shocked either. Sad – of course, because of the loss of human life. But I think the Task Group was ready for this, and I suggest you ask the Commander in Chief what he feels about the effect of this on their morale?Admiral Fieldhouse
There is no indication that I have that they are in anything but a very much stronger frame of mind to do what they have to. And the determination to win is quite obvious.Journalist
Does the loss of three of the complement of Harriers severely deplete the complement of early warning in the air?Admiral Lewin
I think ‘severe’ is rather a strong word for three out of twenty. [slight smile] It is that percentage of twenty. But we have more Sea Harriers and Ground Attack Harriers on the way very shortly there. We have made arrangements to replace losses in battle of every sort – men, materiel, ships, aircraft.