Falkland Islands: Britain 'would lose' if Argentina decides to invade now

via Telegraph.

Admiral Sir John Forster Woodward, known to all as Sandy, firmly believes that if he and other senior figures had made more of what they had achieved in the South Atlantic, the Navy would not now be in its present state – which he describes as “fairly dire. The Navy took itself for granted, and the country took the Navy for granted. Then we allowed it all to disappear after the Falklands.

“If we’d been louder, then investment in the services would have been more naval than it has been. We wouldn’t have ditched the aircraft carriers Invincible and Ark Royal. We wouldn’t have got rid of the Sea Harriers – an appalling decision.”

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If the Falklands are ever captured by Argentina it will be impossible to win them back, says Woodward. “We could not retake the Falklands. We could not send a task force or even an aircraft carrier. If we had been in this state in 1982, the Falklands would be the Malvinas. We rely on sending reinforcements by air, but that would be impossible if we lost control of the airfield at Mount Pleasant.”

He is not, however, as despairing as that sounds. “The problem doesn’t arise, because they won’t be taking it,” he says, rapping his knuckles on the kitchen table for luck. “I hope I’m right.”

His hope is based on the recent arrival of the destroyer HMS Dauntless. “We need her surface-to-air missiles. The Argentines might hope to overcome the four Typhoon jets at Mount Pleasant with a dozen Mirages and then bomb the airfield out of action, but while she’s there with her missiles they won’t try that. I’m not sure the Government understands how important she is.”

Story here. 

This story illustrates why I like talking to the old skool guys.  If they have run out of fucks to give OR they decide to take you into their circle you can hear some amazing things.

Some of it will be about stuff you've heard about. 

The chest thumping accomplishments, the bravery of certain men and units under fire....

But that's not the juicy stuff.

It gets good when they recollect.  Ponder their past decisions.  Wonder what they got right, what they got wrong and what they would tell the guys that are doing the deed now if they JUST WOULD LISTEN!

Don't know if you agree with him, don't even know if it matters but his words are worth a read.