Re: Falkland Islands: Tensions Rising again ahead of Prince William visit
Quote:
Originally Posted by STONEISLAND
(Post 35373336)
If it does go to war and by the sounds of it will it be a different type of war to the 80s and in what way?
All about oil again!
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If it is about oil, it will be Argentina's desire to take it, not Britain's desire to defend it. The UK's interest in holding onto the Falklands has never had anything to do with oil.
As for how a second Falklands war would be different - well, HMS Dauntless, the Type 45 Guided Missile Destroyer that will shortly be patrolling in the South Atlantic, is unlike anything deployed in 1982. A Royal Navy source told the Telegraph this morning that it's carrying enough missiles - and sufficiently advanced control systems - to take down every warplane in south America, let alone Argentina itself.
Dauntless could conceivably sit off the Argentine coast, in international waters, detect every take off from every military airfield and drop each plane from the sky before it even gets to cruise altitude.
In 1982 we needed aircraft carriers because the Falklands had already fallen. They fell because they were inadequately defended. It would be nigh-on impossible to re-take the islands again without carriers, which is why these days they are properly defended. The Argentine navy and air force would suffer very heavy losses were they to try to invade the islands again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pog66
(Post 35373369)
Just like in '82 then - the US twiddled their thumbs whilst the French had suppied Exocet missiles to teh Argentinians
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The US provided invaluable logistics support in 1982 which were not widely trumpeted at the time because it was politically embarrassing for Reagan, who had supported Argentina's military junta as a preferable alternative to a communist government.
And the French were mortified at the use their hardware was being put to. They provided all assistance to the British forces to assist them in understanding how best to combat the French-made missiles and fighter jets the Argentie air force was using. |
