There were two main reasons why the Royal Navy had few Sea Harriers present in the Falklands. The most important of these was that Britain had few Sea Harriers. The type was relatively new, having joined the fleet in 1981. Only 34 aircraft had been initially procured. The RN in the late 1970s saw its main role as providing ASW cover for convoys in the North Atlantic should the Cold War turn hot. This would require its carriers to carry a large load of ASW helicopters, and only a few fighters for point defence against Soviet bombers and strike aircraft. Earlier in 1982, Invincible and Hermes had taken part in major NATO exercises. During these, both carriers carried just five Sea Harriers each. The sudden deployment to the Falklands meant that the RN had to scrounge up every possible Sea Harrier (and pilot) it could find. Of the 34 aircraft ordered, one was still under construction, and another had been lost. To make an initial deployment of twelve aircraft on Hermes and eight on Invincible, aircraft had to be taken from programs testing weapons capability (many of the weapons used by the Sea Harrier during the war had not actually been certified for use on the aircraft before it), or from training schools.

Another issue was the fact that the carriers were not there solely to carry fighters. They could carry the Sea King helicopter; this was the RN's longest-range helicopter. It was extremely valuable both as an ASW aircraft and as a troop transport. In the former role, it made up a large part of the fleet's ASW strength. The RN saw Argentina's few diesel-electric submarines as a major threat during the war. They were hard to find, and could easily sink a valuable ship like a carrier or large troop transport. The RN had to maintain strong ASW cover to prevent such a disaster. As a result, both carriers went south with large anti-submarine Sea King squadrons; 9 on Hermes and 11 on Invincible. In troop-carrying mode, the Sea King had several advantages over the other helicopters available. It was larger than the older Wessex, or the RAF's Puma. It was one of the few helicopters available to Britain fitted for night vision goggles, which allowed special forces teams to be landed at night. Hermes had, in pre-war planning, been designated as a 'Commando Carrier', capable of carrying, landing and supporting troops. She would partly fall into this role in the Falklands, carrying 120 Royal Marines and 9 Sea King troop transports.

While the numbers of Sea Harriers in the initial task force were low, they would be supplemented in time. Eight Sea Harriers were sent south on the aircraft transport Atlantic Conveyor; this left just four Sea Harriers in the UK. Two of these were on training duties, and the other two were on weapons trials. The RAF provided a number of Harrier GR.3s of No. 1 Squadron RAF. These were less capable than the Sea Harrier as a fighter, but could free up Sea Harriers for combat air patrol duties by taking over their strike responsibilities. The GR.3 required a number of modifications to suit life at sea, and their pilots needed training for carrier take-offs and landings, but they were a useful addition.