Editing Sea Dart (section)

===Into service===
Sea Dart entered service in 1973 on the sole [[Type 82 destroyer]] {{HMS|Bristol|D23|6}} before widespread deployment on the [[Type 42 destroyer]] commencing with {{HMS|Sheffield|D80|6}} in 1976. The missile system was also fitted to [[Invincible-class aircraft carrier|''Invincible''-class aircraft carriers]] but was removed during refits between 1998 and 2000 to increase the area of the flight deck and below-decks stowage associated with the operation of [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) [[RAF Harrier II|Harrier GR9]] aircraft.{{sfn|Saunders|2002|p=770}}

In 1982, British Aerospace won a £100m contract to sell the Sea Dart system to [[China]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Defence: Managing Director of British Aerospace letter to MT (sale of Sea Dart weapon system to China) |quote=Thank you for your involvement in our success... This will help to secure jobs [declassified Jan 2014] |url=https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/222861 |website=Margaret Thatcher Foundation |access-date=1 June 2023}}</ref> but this fell through in 1983, with Chinese minister [[Chen Muhua]] explaining that China was "not satisfied with the price, technology or production".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mirsky |first1=Jonathan |title=Why China cancelled £100m Sea Dart order |work=The Observer |date=1983-04-03}}</ref>