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
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.
