Quite honestly I'm catching this while going out the door to get my workout on, but my history must be failing me cause I don't get the half slash through the Invincible.
Regardless, the issue with the Falklands still burns deep for the people of Argentina. Something tells me that with some smart thinking by one of their Navy Admirals the Argentines could find a new benefactor that would trade goods for J-31's and long range anti-ship/anti-air missiles.
Now that would make things interesting.
Thing is, Argentine has nothing to counter the UK SSN threat which sort-of makes everything else irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI bet the Royal Navy has one with a sub and the General Belgrano crossed out on it somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe Invincible was scrapped.
So they just have to wait some years, UK SSN will be decomissioned or unusable...
ReplyDeleteSolomon,
ReplyDeleteThe Argentinians claim they got an Exocet hit on the Invincible but the British hushed it up. That probably explains the half slash through that ship.
I think we'd have noticed by now if they had
ReplyDeleteYes, which is why I said "The Argentinians claim ... ".
DeleteNobody outside of Argentina takes the Invincible claim seriously.
Whats more concerning are the remarks that other south american presidents have made about the falklands.
ReplyDelete"...Something tells me that with some smart thinking by one of their Navy Admirals the Argentines could find a new benefactor that would trade goods for J-31's and long range anti-ship/anti-air missiles..."
ReplyDeleteVery unlikely.
1 - Argentina's military is traditionally right-wing pro-west so they rather try to get their hands in western high-tech weapons.
2 - Argentina's current civilian administration is left-wing anti-west and they rather keep the military crippled in revenge for the time of the military dictatorship when the soldiers killed 30000 leftists.
For example: in the celebration of the 200 anniversary of the birth of the country the military parade lacked any tank. Because the lack of funds for maintenance made the risk of a tank stopping in front of the crowd due to mechanical failure so real that the minister of defense instead made the soldiers parade wearing historical uniforms.
Like Philippines, even if someone donate to them stealth fighters and long-range anti-ship cruise missiles, the civilians distrust of the military means that they don't have the money for keep and operate them.
yep, Ms. Kirchner doesn't like the military at all.
DeleteShe also seems to hate the Argentine economy.
What would be interesting is if we started lobbing TLAMS through their capital and started to target their HQ's and married quarters. I wonder how quickly their resolve to claim the falklands would last? All the while, the Argentine Navy would remain penned up in port. Impotent and scared. Rather like the last time I imagine.....
ReplyDeleteArgentina has 4 destroyers and 3 submarines , all of which are over 30 years old. It has one converted cargo ship that can carry a small number of troops. The only aircraft they have are 1970's mirages and that's it. A big difference from 1982 when they had an aircraft carrier, a battleship, landing assault ships and a great deal more aircraft. In 1982 Britain had a platoon on the Falklands, now its 1,000 troops along with Typhoon aircraft and SSN stationed there. The chances of Argentina carrying out any successful operation are zero. The Falklands are an unsinkable aircraft carrier and can be rapidly reinforced. All Argentine threats are just that, empty threats to whip up public support for a government that is very unpopular. Regardless of any new weaponry the Argentine military can get their hands on, they are kept crippled and chained by a government that fears them and will not allow them to modernise if they can
ReplyDeleteArgentina and Spain are coordinating their anti Britain efforts. What if they decide to take military action in sync and gang up on their common foe? Which possession is more important for UK to defend, Falklands or Gibraltar? Given the current condition of Royal Navy, I doubt it can fend off both opponents simultaneously.
ReplyDeleteThey are coordinating that's true but that's just diplomatic pressure and low level petty stunts. Both countries are in the shits and about to go down the plug hole so they are just trying to distract their people from the dire economic melt down they are facing. Argentina is not capable of any military action at all and the idea of Spain carrying out some kind of military operation against Gibraltar is absurd. Only a few weeks ago the UK and Spain were carrying out joint naval exercises, its all hot air by Spain as usual.
DeleteBasically Argentina is all talk and no show. They have weakened their military to the point that they can never mount an invasion of the Falklands.
ReplyDeleteI cant read that....
ReplyDeleteSort of demonstrates WHO that is aimed at....