Read my post, I said “available”.
The USS FDR, CV-42 that you mentioned was decommissioned in 1977 and was sent to the scrapyard. The Falklands War was five years later.
Of course, the Harriers could land on any aircraft carrier, but getting serviced with spare parts is another story.
The Iwo Jima was a platform for Marine Expeditionary Units, MEU’s that carried Harriers only to support Marine Corps units on board.
MEU’s are either deployed out of Norfolk or San Diego. At the time, the Iwo Jima was the only MEU platform operating in the Atlantic Ocean that could directly and fully support Brit Harriers that were almost identical to the Marine Harriers onboard.
I'm well aware of what you said and I'm well aware that you are wrong. I mentioned the 1977 deployment onboard the FDR only to provide photographic evidence that you were wrong in your claim. Sit up in your chair higher so reality doesn't sail so far over your grape.
The USS FDR, CV-42 that you mentioned was decommissioned in 1977 and was sent to the scrapyard. The Falklands War was five years later.
I'm well aware of the disposal of FDR. Midway and Coral Sea, same class as the FDR, remained in service into the 90s.
The Iwo Jima was a platform for Marine Expeditionary Units, MEU’s
Incorrect. MEUs were known as MAUs back then along with the MABs and MAFs. The renaming transition for all MAUs to MEUs began to occur in late 1982 after the Falklands skirmish was over. As only two examples, you should be aware that in 1983 the 24th MAU was deployed to Beirut when the BLT was destroyed and the 22nd MAU was diverted to Grenada prior to relieving the 24th. 24th MAU and 22nd MAU were redesignated 24th MEU and 22nd MEU in February 1988. Perhaps you're too young to remember that.
At the time, the Iwo Jima was the only MEU(sic) platform operating in the Atlantic Ocean that could directly and fully support Brit Harriers that were almost identical to the Marine Harriers onboard.
Incorrect. The Iwo Jima was not the only LPH homeported in Norfolk and Harriers had embarked aboard other LPHs as well as LHAs prior to the Falklands. Numerous boats; 12 LPHs, 5 LHAs not to mention the CVs and CVNs, were available to be loaned to the Brits.
You're entitled to your own opinion, wrong as it may be, but you aren't entitled to your own facts.