A member of the Falklands’ government has told Express.co.uk that Argentina would likely launch a new military invasion of the islands if the UK was to pull out its troops.
Britain and Argentina fought a 10-week war in 1982, following General Galtieri’s decision to invade the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days, during which 255 British army personnel died, along with 649 Argentines and three Falkland Islanders
Since then, the UK has beefed up its military presence on the island, where around 1,500 personnel are stationed year-round.
All three branches of the military are represented in the Falklands – infantry, navy, and air force. The RAF Mount Pleasant airbase is central to the island’s defence capability and recently received a £7 million refurbishment.
Gavin Short, a member of the Falklands’ Legislative Assembly warned that without British military support, the islands would be vulnerable to another Argentine invasion.
He told Express.co.uk: “I don’t think militarily, at the moment, the Argentines are in any fit state to do anything.
“But we do have a fear, that if we didn’t have some form of protection, I suspect, we may get another visit.
“But to say that, that’s just a fear I have if all the British protection disappeared. You know, there’s just 3,000 of us here and we wouldn’t be able to defend ourselves.”
Mr Short claimed Buenos Aires has consistently tried to undermine the Falklands’ sovereignty by trying to wreck its economy.
He also claimed Argentina believed that if the economy was to collapse, then islanders would welcome being ruled over by Buenos Aires.
“They know if they can wreck our economy, they can do us real damage,” he explained.
“And they’re funny little minds. They think if our lifestyle over here takes a nosedive, we’ll all suddenly want to be Argentine.
“They’re crazy. Nothing could be further from the truth. We’d rather starve than give our country away.”
Last week the US indicated it was ready to sign off on a £728 million military aid deal, that would provide Argentina with F-16 fighter jets, as well as missiles and bombs.
The US State Department said: “The suggested sale will boost Argentina’s ability to tackle current and future threats by providing additional capacity for air defence, offensive counter-air, and close air support operations.”