Britain’s military presence in the South Atlantic is at the appropriate level for the defence of the Falkland Islands, and the absence of an ice patrol ship does not change that, according to an answer given in Parliament.
Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative member for Huntingdon, asked what assessment has been made of the potential impact on Argentine posture in the region of having no ice patrol ship available.
Louise Sandher-Jones, the Minister for the Armed Forces, said: “The Ministry of Defence is committed to maintaining a defensive military presence in the South Atlantic to ensure the protection of the Falkland Islands and South Atlantic Islands. Our defences in the South Atlantic are robust, consisting of air, land, and maritime forces with a strong permanent presence on the Falkland Islands. I am confident that our military presence is at the appropriate level for the defence of the Islands, and we keep this under constant review.”
British forces in the South Atlantic are based around Mount Pleasant Complex on East Falkland, where Typhoons of 1435 Flight hold quick reaction alert, supported by a Voyager tanker, an A400M and Sky Sabre ground based air defence. A River class offshore patrol vessel is forward deployed to the region and the islands are garrisoned by a roulement infantry company.
HMS Protector carries out survey and inspection work under the Antarctic Treaty and has no combat role, though her presence has long been part of the pattern of British activity in the South Atlantic. She last deployed south in the 2024-25 season and will miss a second consecutive Antarctic season this year.
I seem to remember someone said that once before?
This is clearly nonsense, obviously what stops Argentina invading is not the four Typhoon jets or the CAMM air defence system, it’s not the company of soldiers armed with Javelin missiles or the massive modern airbase able to rapidly reinforce the Falklands.
No it’s the barley armed ice survey ship that spends most of if its time either thousands of miles south in Antarctica or thousands of miles to the north in the UK 😂
I think this is an institutional memory of how the plannred withdrawal of Endurance in 82 emboldened the Junta.
This time there isn’t such a government in Argentina.
The loss of Protector has greater impact on our Antarctic territories work.
I’d rather be in a Typhoon than an F16, but in the Falklands War the USA offered a ton of behind the scenes support to the UK; it remains to be seen what happens with Donald Fart in charge. Knowing him, with his inability to get anything right and unerring skill at making things worse, he’d support the Argies or threaten the UK or something.
So my layman’s opinion is, don’t watch what the Argies are doing, worry about what Donald Fart will do.