[misterrob]

Patrick Robinson just did a book on this issue in a fictional setting. England had let its military decay for so long that when Argentina invaded the islands the Brits failed miserably in retaking them. The US had to bail them out.

[rahbert]

How does he figure that the US bailed them out?

I don't recall any US ships or planes joining the task
force nore were any US troops involved. It was Royal Marines, the Paras, and the RN.

[Alter Kaker]

Patrick Robinson just did a book on this issue in a fictional setting. England had let its military decay for so long that when Argentina invaded the islands the Brits failed miserably in retaking them. The US had to bail them out.

That "fictional" setting is pretty much what would have happened in 1982, had the French not given the Brits the information they needed to defeat the Argentine's Exocet missiles. Regardless, the Brits were very lucky and still had a hard time with things.