Britain’s navy cannot mount a proper defence of the Falkland Islands should it be attacked again by Argentina, according to a former officer.
Argentina’s military junta ordered its army to seize the Falklands in April 1982, which sparked a 74-day war with the UK.
The British government led at the time by Margaret Thatcher sent a naval task force to liberate the islanders from their Argentinian captors.
Argentina lost 649 soldiers, while 255 British Armed Forces personnel were killed during the conflict and 777 were injured.
A former officer of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) said the current British fleet could not mount a similar operation in its current state.
Captain Simon Booth, who served 37 years in the RFA, considers the fleet to be undermanned and lacking ships.
He told The News website: “The number of escorts that the navy has got is woeful.
“We could not mount a Falklands-style operation for another ten years at least, and that’s if they built everything they’re thinking about building.
“We know the promises that are made to build a number of ships are rarely achieved.
“There should have been eight Type 45 destroyers, eight Mars tankers, five LSDAs, and all of those things add up.”
The British Ministry of Defence has plans to strengthen its navy and is awaiting the delivery of several warships.
These include Type 26 frigates and Type 31 general-purpose frigates, which are expected to come into service in the late 2020s and early 2030s.
The MoD said the Type 26 shipbuilding project remains on track and will be delivered on time to replace their Type 23 counterparts without causing a capability gap.
A spokesperson added: “Our priority is to make Britain secure at home and strong abroad for decades to come.
“The Strategic Defence Review will examine the threats we face, the state of our Armed Forces, and identify the capabilities needed to meet those threats.”
Argentinian politicians have stepped up their attacks on the Falklands, issuing many inflammatory statements.
Recently the UK was accused of trying to use a UN maritime treaty to undermine Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.