Another Falklands war would be unwinnable now, says ex-Army chief

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.”