| ID | 114612 |
| Title Proper | Can Britain defend the Falklands? |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Bell, Mark S |
| Publication | 2012. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Britain's ability to defend the Falkland Islands from Argentina has been repeatedly challenged by former military leaders and analysts. These concerns have been driven by British defence cuts, the discovery of hydrocarbon reserves close to the Falklands, and increasingly bellicose Argentine rhetoric and actions. This paper evaluates Argentina's capacity to launch an attack on the Falklands and the British capacity to defend against such an attack. Argentina's ability to threaten the Falklands is limited, because Argentina cannot easily neutralise British air superiority over the islands. Even if Argentina could do so, Argentina would find it difficult to bring sufficient troops onto the islands to threaten the Mount Pleasant airfield, or prevent British reinforcements from arriving. Although Britain's current military posture is reasonable, Britain needs a political strategy to counter an Argentine campaign of low-level harassment. |
| `In' analytical Note | Defence Studies Vol. 12, No.2; Jun 2012: p.283-301 |
| Journal Source | Defence Studies Vol. 12, No.2; Jun 2012: p.283-301 |
| Key Words | Britain ; Falkland ; Argentina ; Hydrocarbon ; Political Strategy |