 Sukhoi Su-24 |
From last December:
http://www.janes.com/article/47293/uk-reviews-falklands-defence-as-russia-offers-su-24s-to-argentina
Posted on 03/27/2015 6:52:00 AM PDT by Thistooshallpass9
Russia is preparing to lease 12 long-range, supersonic bomber jets to Argentina, a move that some in Britain fear is designed to ready Argentina to take the Falkland Islands.
Argentina has long argued that the Falklands—which it calls the Malvinas—are Argentine territory and should be controlled by Buenos Aires instead of London. The dispute escalated into war in 1982 when Argentina invaded the islands, attempting to establish sovereignty over them. The bloody 74-day conflict ended with British forces overwhelming the Argentinians and reestablishing British control of the islands.
But British defense cuts in recent years leave the Falklands more vulnerable to attack, particularly if Russia beefs up Argentina’s armaments. “It is a very live threat,” British Defense Minister Michael Fallon said March 23 concerning Moscow’s plan to equip Argentina with attack planes. “We have to respond to it.”
Former defense minister Sir Gerald Howarth said of Russia’s plan: “It is very serious indeed. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has many problems at home and yet he is ramping up tension in the Falklands.”
Russian politicians and pro-Kremlin newspapers have long taken Argentina’s side in the Falklands dispute, routinely criticizing Britain’s “colonial occupation” of the islands. Russians sometimes refer to the Falklands as the “Crimea of the Atlantic,” a comparison the Argentine government welcomes.
“The Malvinas have always belonged to Argentina, the same way that Crimea also belonged to the Soviet Union until it was given to Ukraine,” Argentine President Cristina de Kirchner said last year after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Kirchner was among the most vocal supporters of Russia’s grab of Crimea, and her support is now winning her tit-for-tat backing from Moscow regarding Argentina’s claim on the Falklands.
On March 22, Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian Duma’s committee of international affairs, tweeted:
Putin himself has made his support for Argentina’s claims clear here and here.
In a sign that the United Kingdom takes the Russo-Argentine cooperation seriously, Fallon said Britain will invest $265 million to bolster Falklands’ defenses over the next 10 years. However, a Ministry of Defense spokesman told the Express that Argentina will likely receive the bombers well before Britain does much to beef up its forces, leaving a “real window of vulnerability.”
All that, plus the RN usually keeps an SSN on station. Which can carry Tomahawks. And can surge several others down there relatively quickly.
One of the reasons the Black Buck missions were flown during the Falklands War was to send a clear message to the Argies that the Brits could hit mainland targets with Vulcans. The presence of TLAM-equipped SSNs will be appreciated by the Argies; nothing says “You really dont want to eff with us” quite like pointing out that it’s all fun and games until the Bueno Aires power grid gets dropped,
I believe they are Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer aircraft.
Never underestimate the utter incompetence of the Argentines. Even if the UK pulled out of the Falklands, Argentina might still attack... and lose.
5.56mm
Reports said Russia would be leasing them to Argentina in exchange for beef and other food (to make up for what Russia is no longer importing from Europe due to sanctions).
You are correct. It was the Mya-4 Bull.
Ah, you got me.
For some reason I was thinking of the Tu-16 Badger, which, as I’m sure you know, along with the Tu-95 Bear, were the most produced Soviet bombers of the Cold War (and beyond). The Chinese built their own version of it (Xian H-6)and the Tu-16/Xian H-6 was also sold to a number of their respective client states. (Total production @ 1700.)
Interestingly, no Russian/Chinese strategic bombers sold in the Western Hemisphere...yet.
Thanks.
5.56mm
Food exports...
When the money keeps rolling out, you don’t keep books.
It is the good old ‘Great game’ or a ‘zero-sum-game’ as it has become known in the second part of 20th century when US has joined backsiding Britain. Too bad opponent has dice to roll too. Now played in Western hemisphere.
It is not supersonic and only one is in museum.
Sukhoi Su-24 |
From last December:
http://www.janes.com/article/47293/uk-reviews-falklands-defence-as-russia-offers-su-24s-to-argentina
We violate his sphere, so he violates ours.
Of course, admittedly, the Falklands are a lot further from the US than Ukraine is from Russia. But there is that Monroe Doctrine thing there to be violated.
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