They wouldn't dare. Would they?

Reported in the Mail

Hostilities between the UK and Argentina will reach boiling point today with the arrival of a British oil rig off the Falkland Islands.

Buenos Aires has threatened to take steps to prevent what it believes is 'illegal' drilling - including a blockade of ships.

It would appear that the Argentinian President is doing a bit of sabre rattling.

However, although there are not huge forces available to protect the Falklands and the Argentinian forces would appear to be numerically superior, it is not about the numbers.

The difference between 1982 and now is our ability to reinforce the Falklands within hours if required. In 1982 the only real runway was at Stanley and did not have the facilities that the new Military airbase at Mount Pleasant enjoys.

The Argentinian Navy:

4 x Meko 360 destroyers

6 x Meko 140 destroyers

3 x Corvettes

3 x Diesel/electric Submarines

1 x Support ship.(Fuel)

The British navy:

1 x Aircraft carrier

5 x Type 42 Destroyers

13 x Type 23 Frigates

4 x Type 22 Frigates

7 x Nuclear hunter killer submarines

The Argentine Air force:

31 x Fighter Aircraft

36 x Ground attack

2/3 x Aerial refuelling

British air assets.

1 Group (Air Combat Group) - HQ High Wycombe

1 Squadron*
Harrier GR.7/7A/9/T.10
Cottesmore

2 Squadron
Tornado GR.4/4A
Marham

3 Squadron
Typhoon T.1/F.2
Coningsby

4 Squadron*
Harrier GR.7/7A/9/T.10
Cottesmore

6 Squadron
Jaguar GR.3A/T.4
Coningsby

9 Squadron
Tornado GR.4
Marham

12 Squadron
Tornado GR.4/4A
Lossiemouth

13 Squadron
Tornado GR.4/4A
Marham

14 Squadron
Tornado GR.4/4A
Lossiemouth

15(R) Squadron (NTOCU)
Tornado GR.4
Lossiemouth

17(R) Squadron
(Typhoon OEU)
Typhoon T.1/F.2
Coningsby

20(R) Squadron (233 OCU)*
Harrier GR.7/T.10/T.12
Wittering

25 Squadron
Tornado F.3
Leeming

29(R) Squadron (T OCU)
Typhoon T.1/F.2
Coningsby

31 Squadron
Tornado GR.4/4A
Marham

41(R) Sqn
Tornado GR.4, Tornado F.3, Harrier GR.9/9A
Coningsby

43 Squadron
Tornado F.3
Leuchars

56(R) Squadron (229 OCU)
Tornado F.3
Leuchars

100 Squadron
Hawk T.1/T.1A/T.1W
Leeming

111 Squadron
Tornado F.3
Leuchars

617 Squadron
Tornado GR.4/4A
Lossiemouth

1435 Flight
Tornado F.3
Mount Pleasant, Falklands

2 Group (Air Combat Support Group) - HQ High Wycombe

5 Squadron
Sentinel R.1
Waddington

8 Squadron
Boeing Sentry AEW.1
Waddington

22 Squadron HQ
Sea King HAR.3/3A
St. Mawgan

- A Flight
Sea King HAR.3A
Chivenor

- B Flight
Sea King HAR.3A
Wattisham

- C Flight
Sea King HAR.3
Valley

23 Squadron (Sentry OCU)
Boeing Sentry AEW.1
Waddington

24 Squadron
Hercules C.4/C.5
Lyneham

30 Squadron
Hercules C.4/C.5
Lyneham

32 (The Royal) Squadron
BAe 125 CC.3, BAe 146 CC.2,
A109E
Northolt

39 Squadron (1 PRU)
Canberra PR.9
Marham

42(R) Squadron (236 OCU)
Nimrod MR.2
Kinloss

47 Squadron
Hercules C.1/C.3
Lyneham

51 Squadron
Nimrod R.1
Waddington

54(R) Squadron
Nimrod R.1, Sentry AEW.1
Waddington

70 Squadron
Hercules C.1/C.3
Lyneham

99 Squadron
C-17A Globemaster III
Brize Norton

101 Squadron
VC-10 C.1K/K.3/4
Brize Norton

120 Squadron
Nimrod MR.2
Kinloss

201 Squadron
Nimrod MR.2
Kinloss

202 Squadron HQ
Sea King HAR.3
Boulmer

- A Flight
Sea King HAR.3
Boulmer

- D Flight
Sea King HAR.3
Kinloss

- E Flight
Sea King HAR.3
Leconfield

203(R) Squadron
Sea King HAR.3
St. Mawgan

216 Squadron
TriStar K.1/KC.1/C.2/C.2A
Brize Norton

1312 Flight
Hercules C.1, VC-10 K.2/3/4
Mount Pleasant, Falklands

Hercules OEU
Hercules C.1/C.3/C.4/C.5
Lyneham

Northolt Station Flight
Islander CC.2/2A
Northolt

Direct Reporting Units

78 Squadron
Chinook HC.2, Sea King HAR.3
Mount Pleasant, Falklands

84 Squadron
Griffin HAR.2
Akrotiri, Cyprus

1115 Flight $
Predator UAV
Indian Springs, NV, USA

1310 Flight
Chinook HC.2
Khandahar, Afghanistan

1419 Flight
Merlin HC.3
Basra, Iraq

1563 Flight
Puma HC.1
Basra, Iraq

Operation 'Heric'
Harrier GR.7A
Khandahar, Afghanistan

Operation 'Telic'
Tornado GR.4
Al Udeid, Qatar

BBMF
Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster,
Dakota, Chipmunk
Coningsby

Personnel & Training Command - HQ Innsworth

19(R) Squadron (4 FTS)
Hawk T.1/T.1A/T.1W
Valley

45(R) Squadron (3 FTS)
King Air 200
Cranwell

55(R) Squadron (3 FTS)
Dominie T.1
Cranwell

72(R) Squadron (1 FTS)
Tucano T.1
Linton-on-Ouse/Topcliffe

207(R) Squadron (1 FTS)
Tucano T.1
Linton-on-Ouse/Topcliffe

208(R) Squadron (4 FTS)
Hawk T.1/T.1A/T.1W
Valley

1 FTS (inc CFS)
Tucano T.1
Linton-on-Ouse/Topcliffe

3 FTS (inc CFS)
Dominie T.1, King Air 200, Grob G.115E Tutor
Cranwell

4 FTS (inc CFS)
Hawk T.1/T.1A
Valley

CFS Tutor Squadron (3 FTS)
Grob G.115E Tutor
Cranwell

CFS Tucano Squadron (1 FTS)
Tucano T.1
Topcliffe

RAF College Air Squadron
Grob G.115E Tutor, T-67M Firefly
Cranwell

The Red Arrows
Hawk T.1/T.1A/T.1W
Scampton

University Air Squadrons/AEFs
Grob G.115E Tutor
-

Volunteer Gliding Squadrons
Viking T.1/Vigilant T.1
-

Joint Helicopter Command - HQ Wilton

7 Squadron
Chinook HC.2/Gazelle AH.1
Odiham

18 Squadron
Chinook HC.2/HC.2A
Odiham

27 Squadron
Chinook HC.2/HC.2A
Odiham

28 Squadron
Merlin HC.3
Benson

33 Squadron
Puma HC.1
Benson

60(R) Squadron (DHFS)
Bell Griffin HT.1
Shawbury

- SARTU
Bell Griffin HT.1
Valley

230 Squadron
Puma HC.1
Aldergrove

Good to have a fair fight

The thing is. The situation has changed since 1982. We now have a sophisticated military base on the Islands that can be re-inforced within days, if not hours. This is a collossal advantage that we can exploit if need be.

The weaponry available to the British armed forces is a considerable differance to what we had in 82. Precision laser guided bombs, Fire and forget anti aircraft missiles, Submarine launched land attack missiles. The list goes on.

You get my drift.