UK Ignores Argentina’s Claim: Decides To Beef Up Falkland’s Defence With New Missiles And Maritime Vessels

Ignoring the fresh demand from Argentina on Britain to cede its claims on the disputed Falkland islands, the U.K. has announced that it is going to add new reinforcements to beef up military presence in the Islands for enhanced protection. The announcement was made by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.

Air Force Upgrade

Under the new reinforcements, according to Fallon, Britain will deploy more Chinook helicopters and upgrade vital communications at its Royal Air Force base at Mount Pleasant. It will also modernise the Rapier air defence missiles. It will be a decade long process and entails an investment of 180 million pounds. The thrust will be on the modernisation of infrastructure and maritime patrol vessels, Fallon added. However, he ruled out any fresh addition to the number of British military and civilian personnel stationed there, which are around 1,200.

Tensions over the Falklands date back to 1982, when Argentine forces seized the islands and Britain responded with a task force to retake them. In the short war, more than 600 Argentine and 255 British servicemen were killed. "We are reinforcing our guard. We will continue to defend the right of the islanders to determine their future and maintain their way of life against whatever threats may arise,” Fallon told parliament.

Fallon refused to speculate on a media report that Russia was working on a deal to lease 12 long range bombers to Argentina. He said the principal threat to the Islands remains the unjustified claim of Argentina to its ownership. Many MPs expressed disappointment at not announcing any increase in troops at Falklands. Earlier, Prime Minister David Cameron assured the House that "Britain will always be there for them and defend them.” He said it has faith in the Falkland islanders’ right to self-determination and added, "They had a referendum. They couldn’t have been more clear about wanting to remain with our country and we should protect and defend them.”

New Demand

According to The Guardian, The Argentine government has stepped up its claims on the islands in recent times. The island is 480 kilometres off the Argentine coast and 12,900 kilometres away from Britain. Argentina calls it Las Malvinas. Argentina's ambassador to Britain, Alicia Castro, criticised the British move as unnecessary saying it invasion was "never going to happen."

The Gurdian report noted that Argentina stepped up its claim on Falklands ever since oil exploration began and British oil company Rockhopper Exploration reported significant discoveries of oil and gas. Argentinian president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner had called Cameron “arrogant” for insisting that the islands would remain with the U.K. as long as the islanders wished it.

However, Argentina’s defence minister, Agustín Rossi denied any military plans by his country on the islands. “It is simply a lie, our country has no armament plans,” he said in a statement.

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