Another Falklands war would be unwinnable now, says ex-Army chief
General Sir Mike Jackson: "just about impossible" to win Falklands now. Picture: Getty
THE UK would be unable to retake the Falkland Islands if they were invaded again by Argentina, a former head of the army has claimed.
General Sir Mike Jackson said it would be “just about impossible” to recover key strategic strongholds because the Royal Navy no longer has aircraft carriers that are capable of launching jets.
Sir Mike acknowledged that UK defences on the islands had improved “by a factor of several tens” since the Falklands war in 1982. However, the 67-year-old said that losing the Falklands – which Argentinians call the Malvinas – is not out of the question, saying, “never say never”.
“The official answer will be that it would not be possible for the Argentinians to gain a foothold on the islands, in particular to take Mount Pleasant airfield, which is key to the British defence plan,” he said.
“We have a large international-sized airfield to allow for very rapid reinforcement by air, should circumstances so require. But I suppose I have learned in life, never say never.
“What if an Argentinian force was able to secure the airfield? Then our ability to recover the islands now would be just about impossible.
“We are not in a position to take air power by sea since the demise of the Harrier force.”
Tensions have been mounting between Argentina and the UK following months of escalating rhetoric. Buenos Aires reacted angrily in 2010 when Britain allowed offshore drilling for oil in the islands’ waters, and the Argentinians were also irritated by the recent announcement of Prince William’s forthcoming RAF posting to the islands.
The latest volley of comments has seen the South American country’s president, Cristina Fernandez, hitting back at Prime Minister David Cameron, who accused Argentina of colonialism. She said: “When they say these things it’s exactly because they don’t have reasons or arguments.”
Sir Mike said fewer defence personnel was not too much of a problem as long as the UK is not engaged in a one-on-one battle with another country.
“This will be the smallest army since the Napoleonic wars, he said. “My understanding is that we’re heading for 82,000.
“Right now there is no existential threat to the UK. It’s very hard to see when we would be involved in state-on-state warfare which threatens the existence of this country.
“If that were to happen, there would be time to move back to where we used to be.”
The commander of UK forces in the Falklands said he was confident of being able to ward off any attack.
Brigadier Bill Aldridge said: “I am entirely confident that I can do the job that is required of me.
“Deterring aggression is my top priority, but I am fully confident that I have the capability to defend the islands.
“I am not expecting to hand the islands over to anybody and therefore put us in a position where we would have to retake them.”
It was reported yesterday that a small but growing number of young Argentinians are questioning their nation’s claim to the islands.
Laura Sanchez, a student whose great uncle was killed in the 1982 war and is buried on the Falklands, said of the islanders: “Why are they Argentinian? Don’t they have the right to self-determination?”
Television producer Tamara Florin, who filmed a documentary about life in the Falklands, said: “There is nothing Argentinian about the islands.
“The people eat fish and chips, they have dinner at 6pm, they’re British.”
Catalina Flexer, another student in Buenos Aires, said: “It’s only the government talking about the Malvinas. People are thinking about other things.
“The whole business about denying access to South American ports to ships flying the Falklands flag is a big lie.”
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Comments
There are 65 comments to this article
Page 1 of 5
moosef
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 11:17 AMI still cant work out what give britain the right to the Falklands? Is it because they invaded it? Germany did that to France some years back and the UK took exception
Family guy
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 08:25 AMThis raises an interesting question. How would Scotland de-fe-nd herself from an argetinian invasion post independence?
roderickvlouis
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 07:28 AMIt was barely 2 and 12 years ago that the RN was regenerating its aircraft carrier capabilities, resuming the deployment of Harrier fixed-wing aircraft from (what was intended to become all 3) Invincible class carriers... "Back on board: regenerating UK carrier strike capability", 04_09-2009: http:www.janes.comnewsdefencejdwjdw090904_1_n.shtml or http:www.janes.comproductsjanesdefence-security-report.aspx?ID=1065926127 The only obstacles to the RN's airpower regeneration process resuming this year- using lend-leased U.S. Navy LHAs- are 1) lack of political will in the coalition govt... and 2) bad advice from senior MoD officials & bureaucrats... The UK gains nothing and destructively diminishes its global status when it tries to 'posture' on the world stage- reacting to threats- using empty language... Mr. Roderick V. Louis, Vancouver, BC, Canada
roderickvlouis
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 07:25 AMWhat is needed?? 1) the immediate lend-lease from the U.S. to the U.K of no less than 2 of the US Navy's NEWER 'medium-sized' aircraft carriers (USS Makin Island, USS Iwo Jima): http:www.navy.milnavydatafact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=400&ct=4 http:www.defenseindustrydaily.comthe-usas-new-lhar-ship-class-carrier-air-amphibious-assault-updated-0870 ....... along with their aircraft, weapons and support equipment; AND 2) the immediate reversal of the MoD's plans to sell all of the UK's 74 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) Harrier jump jets to the U.S. FOR THE PRICE OF 1 F-35B: "(74) Harriers sold to the US for £110m", 24_11-2011: http:www.defencemanagement.comnews_story.asp?id=18115 Mr. Roderick V. Louis, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Family guy
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 07:23 AM46 and 47 - can only assume you are Irish Kon. Don't think the Irish have "drooped" anything of late.......and the Orkneys are NOT hundreds of miles from the Scottish mainland.
Family guy
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 07:22 AMPossibly not something you really want to announce globally.
JimA3220
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 07:04 AMLearn to share, there's enough for both Argentina and The Falklands and both will make plenty of money out of it. There is one thing I do know, it's not worth one more life British Or Argentine. The Islanders are nice people and the natural environment is stunning at times, but c'mon enough now.
Charles Linskaill
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 01:51 AM"Another Falklands war would be unwinnable now, says ex-Army chief", And All Because we have no one as Brilliant as Margaret Thatcher at the Helm, Let no one tell you any different, because it is not true.
Anagach
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:10 AM55 Kon 52 Anagach, it does, you are just a bitter little Scottish nationalist who knows his promised land couldn't even defend itself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Defend itself from what - all those cruise missles and Typhoons you think can fly 8000 miles ?. Why not try reading up a bit, Jane's defense reports for a start.
Anagach
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:08 AM54 Kon 51 Anagach, cruise missiles make "bangs", lol, you've lost it, you dont need to bomb ALL Argentina just the bases they have, as you said no runway no control. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just the bases that they have. To disable a runway you need deep penetrating munitions, those are air drop. It takes a few hours or less to repair a runway. You would have to hit civilain runways and also any stretches of motorway that had been hardened to receive aircraft (typical options used in many countries). The number of targets far outnumber the available cruise and the UK does not have a great deal of them. Grow up.
Kon
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:05 AM52 Anagach, it does, you are just a bitter little Scottish nationalist who knows his promised land couldn't even defend itself.
Kon
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:04 AM51 Anagach, cruise missiles make "bangs", lol, you've lost it, you dont need to bomb ALL Argentina just the bases they have, as you said no runway no control.
Anagach
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 11:54 PMjerrymanders Argentina doesn't have the capacity to invade The Falklands now -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The current weakness of the Argentine military is the only thing that is in the UKs favour.
Anagach
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 11:52 PM45 Kon 33 Anagach, destroyers do enter in to air zones the dont control, thats what the sea to air missiles are for. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And D80 is the result. Sorry but your living in fantasy land if you think the UK retains the ability for a world wide operation such as the Falklands orginal campaign.
Anagach
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 11:51 PMKon Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 11:17 PM 33 Anagach, subs blockade? is that in-between launching missiles at Argentina? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Argentine is big, tomahawks make small bangs and are expensive. Meanwhile that will not retake anything.
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