PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - UK & Argentine Falklands Rapprochement
View Single Post
Old 28th Dec 2016, 01:35
  #29 (permalink)  
Fonsini
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: In a van down by the river
Posts: 706
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
As this is a military forum and not a political one I would be far more interested in a professional assessment of the respective Argentinian and British forces and an analysis of the likely outcome of events should hostilities recommence today with all the unexpected suddeness that they did back in 1982.

It is interesting to me that many of the major weapon systems from 34 years ago are still in use today albeit in upgraded forms. The Type 42 destroyer wasn't new in 1982 and only saw an end to its active service just 3 years ago, the Argentinians are still flying A-4s, Rapier (which didn't work very well in 1982) is still in service, Sea Wolf, Stingray, Chinook, and Lynx to name but a few systems are still in service, amazingly even Sea Skua which must have shelf life issues at this point. Mercifully the appalling Seacat and Blowpipe missile systems are a thing of the past, along with the equally useless Tigerfish torpedo. I could bang on ad nauseam about the individual merits and demerits of specific systems but bigger picture wise I do wonder how things would play out today especially with the UK lacking any carriers and the absence of superb assets like the Sea Harrier FA2.

As for saying it could never happen again with today's more "evolved" Argentina - I don't personally subscribe to that opinion as emotions still run very hot on the subject down south.
Fonsini is offline