Or
Posted on 12/27/2014 8:26:19 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
DEFENCES on the Falklands are being reviewed after it emerged Russia plans to offer Argentina long-range bombers.
The aircraft, which Moscow will swap for beef and wheat, would be able to mount air patrols over Port Stanley.
Ministry of Defence officials fear Buenos Aires would take delivery of the planes well before the deployment in 2020 of the Navy’s 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and its F-35B fighters, leaving a “real window of vulnerability”.
Defence cuts have left the Falklands with just four RAF Typhoon fighters, Rapier surface-to-air missiles and fewer than 1,200 troops, supported by a naval warship that visits throughout the year.
President Putin’s visit to Argentina in July laid the groundwork for exchanging Russian military hardware for wheat, beef and other goods Moscow needs due to EU food embargoes.
The deal involves a lease/lend of 12 Sukhoi Su-24 supersonic, all-weather attack aircraft.
They are ageing but Nato still regards what it codenames “Fencers” as “super-fighters”, with their 2,000-mile range and laser-guided missiles.
Russia has been increasing its links with Argentina since 2010, when it provided two Mi17 assault helicopters which are in service with the 7th Air Force Brigade.
Buenos Aires needs to replace its decrepit fighter fleet but its attempts over the past two years have failed so far.
In October, defence minister Agustin Rossi announced the purchase of 24 Saab Gripen fighters, which were to be provided by Brazil, which has just purchased 36, but Whitehall squashed the deal as some of the jet’s parts are made in the UK Tensions over the islands resurfaced after exploratory seabed drilling revealed the promise of an oil bonanza.
Last night Air Commodore Andrew Lambert, of the UK National Defence Association, said: “The Ministry of Defence should be worried.
"It always trots out the mantra of reviewing force levels but the only real solution is to deploy a sizeable force of Typhoons, at least a squadron, to buy us time to formulate a proper reinforcement package.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We regularly review force levels around the world, though we wouldn’t comment on the detail of this for obvious reasons.”
You have that in reverse.
I LOVE IT when people tell me that Russia and China are not threats to our interests...as they continue to sweep up countries that were once friends with us (or at least neutral).
Wouldn’t surprise me. Universal Healthcare is really not a bad idea but terrible in execution. I think the Brits really felt good hearted in having it but it evolved into a huge monstrosity. I think we should find ways to take care of people so they do not have to worry about money to go to the doctors and so on but not make it so where we have rationed care and have it eat up other programs to the detriment of our defense and country. I can see if they wanted to target people who really need it but to provide it for everyone is a huge mistake.
The only point in Helicopter AEW is when you don’t have a proper carrier/airstrip to launch a proper AEW aircraft. The E3D Sentries can do a much better job of that from RAF Mt Pleasant.
“I actually think Argentina has some reasonable claim to the islands but since the citizens living there want to remain British, that should be the deciding factor.”
Argentine has never had a lawful claim of possession on the Falkland Islands. Argentina’s pretended claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands are based upon false claims of succession from Spanish and French claims on the islands, which France and Spain abandoned and/or negotiated away in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
The Argentine claim of succession is based upon a false and fraudulent claim that an Argentine government succeeded in the possession of the Falkland islands through the Spanish Viceroyalty. In historical fact however, the Spanish territorial claim on the Falkland Islands had already been transferred away from the viceroyalty in South America directly to the Royal Government and the department for the Spanish Navy in Madrid. This was years before the revolution in the future Argentine occurred.
Furthermore, Argentina formally relinquished any and all of its pretended claims of sovereignty over the Falklands Islands in two separate treaties between Argentina and Great Britain in the 19th Century.
The French claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands was based solely upon a claim of prior occupancy. The French claim was defective in at least two respects. The British had a public and well known prior claim of sovereignty on the Falkland Islands by right of discovery. The French claim was based on the principal that actual occupancy superseded Britain’s right of discovery. Unfortunately, the French claim failed in part by occupying only the East Falklands while the British only very shortly afterwards also occupied the Western Falklands while each remained ignorant of the presence of the other in the Falklands for a significant period of time.
While the French and the British were trying to determine which of the British claim by right of discovery, the French claim by right of occupancy of the East Falklands, and the British occupation of the West Falklands would prevail in determining sovereignty of part or all of the Falklands, the Spanish stepped into the controversy with its claim by right of the Treaty of Tordesillas. Although the French did not recognize the treaty to have any authority except between Spain and Portugal, France decided it would nevertheless relinquish the French colony in the Falkland Islands to Spain by purchase. The Treaty of Tordesillas was not binding upon Britain either, so the Franco-Spanish transfer of claims had no effect upon the British claim of sovereignty.
This disputed French claim of sovereignty by right of occupancy was then assumed by Spain and transferred from the viceroyalty responsible for much of South America to the Royal department responsible for the Spanish Navy. It was then up to the British and Spanish governments to settle the disputed claims of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands between themselves. Spain later abandoned its colony and settled disputed claims of sovereignty by treaty, leaving Britain as the sole remaining claimant by right of discovery and by right of occupancy.
When these events were taking place and establishing Britain as the sole remaining claimant of sovereignty over all of the Falkland Islands remaining, Argentina did not exist as a sovereign nation recognized by international law. So, Britain re-occupied the Falkland islands before a sovereign government of Argentina ever came into existence to make a pretended claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
Finally, Argentina is also claiming sovereignty over Britain’s South Georgia Islands, and there is no lawful basis for such a claim by Argentina under any pretended theory whatsoever; certainly not by right of discovery or right of occupation.
Argentina’s obligations under prior treaties with Britain, the Kellogg-Briand Treaty of 1928, and the Charter of the United Nations forbid Argentina’s hostile claims of sovereignty over the British territories, their invasion, or their occupation by Argentina. In short, Argentina’s criminally fraudulent claims of sovereignty are totally without substance and totally contrary to the evidence and reason.
marker
Thanks for that info. It sounds like Argentina has no claim at all.
I looked up the stats and I think if we used the Lancaster, we might have to add some fuel tanks to extend the range since it only had a 2500 mile range.
Or
Respectfully, my FRiend, I do not agree.
Socialized anything leads to instant shortages, contempt for customers, graft, and in the case of ACA, "death panels", although they might be named more euphemistically.
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The Su-24 is not a fighter, although it can carry short range infra-red missiles. But that is a moot point unless the British have AEW flying and at least 12 Typhoons with some airborne. If these Su-24M Fencer D carry KH-59 cruise missle with a 110km range and AS-11 and AS-12 anti-radiation missile, then they could take out the air field and anti-aircraft missiles in one sortie. A few KH31A anti-ship missiles will take out whatever surface ship the British have. All that would remain is the British sub fleet, which can slow down or possibly stop a full naval invasion, but are vulnerable to ASW and can do nothing to stop paratroopers backed up by merchant ships carrying marines and supplies. I’m assuming certain weapons are sold, and a relatively high degree of competence and deployment ability for the Argentinians. In so far as the former flagship of their navy recently sunk in harbor from neglect, I don’t see an invasion any time soon. But those gas fields are tempting.
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