A crack team of soldiers has been placed on round-the-clock standby to intercept any attempt to make a grab for land.
After Argentina pledged to retake the islands, British forces in the Falklands were on high alert last night.
A small crack team of soldiers has been put on standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to intercept any attempt by Argentina to land in the British Overseas Territory, despite the fact that the majority of personnel in the Army, Navy, and RAF have maintained their constant vigilante posture.
The humiliating surrender of the Chagos Islands by Sir Keir Starmer to Mauritius has encouraged the Buenos Aires regime, as Argentina’s foreign minister Diana Mondino boasts: We will regain Las Malvinas’ complete sovereignty.
In preparation for a covert operation that would see Argentinian special forces land on the islands that were last invaded in 1982 and recovered at the cost of 255 British lives, a special Army unit with tracker dogs was on 24-hour standby last night.
Simon Weston, a veteran of the Falklands War who sustained horrific injuries when the troop carrier Sir Galahad was sunk by Argentinian fighter jets, said that the PM had “poor judgment.”
He stated, “It was a mistake for Keir Starmer to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which is aligned with China, and it does make me wonder where it will stop.” He was referring to Mauritius.
I can comprehend why people on the Falkland Islands are concerned. It doesn’t take much to reassure them by publicly declaring that the Falkland Islands are not up for grabs; this is called leadership; however, he has not done so. I believe it demonstrates disrespect for them.
“Those islanders deserve to go to sleep peacefully at night.”
James Cleverly, a Tory presidential candidate and former foreign secretary, criticized the government for transferring the Chagos Islands.
He stated, “Labor has rolled over, just like they did with the junior doctors, just like they did with the train drivers, just like they did with the civil service around winter fuel payments.”
Additionally, Mark Francois, a former Tory Armed Forces Minister, stated: In order to maintain sovereignty over the Falklands, we waged a war in 1982, which resulted in the deaths of many British soldiers. Only Labour’s utterly petty decision regarding the Chagos Islands has rekindled the false Argentinian claim.
“As each week sadly demonstrates, this government is just utterly naive when it comes to security and foreign policy,”
However, sources were keen to emphasize that the fear is not that Argentina will launch a military invasion now that there is the smell of a diplomatic victory.
Instead, the concern is that it will send a special forces team to plant Argentina’s flag in a prominent spot on West Falkland in an effort to humiliate the UK.
During the previous administration of nationalist president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a unit known as “find and fight” was established and stationed at RAF Mount Pleasant. In 2015, twenty members of the SBS made an unopposed landing on West Falkland as part of a test of the islands’ defenses.
The team is made up of twenty crack troops and several Belgian Malinois patrol dogs that have been trained to find and hold intruders and saboteurs.
Senior sources claim that “no flag will be raised” is the order of the day, despite the expectation that there won’t be a fight.
Two sophisticated Sabre ground-based air defense systems, 150 soldiers, and four RAF Typhoon fighter jets make up the islands’ current defenses.
However, poor maritime protection exists. Anti-ship and air defense missiles were once used by a frigate or destroyer to patrol the waters around the Falklands.
The task is now being performed by a single offshore patrol vessel with a 30 mm cannon, HMS Forth.
Diana Mondino, Argentina’s foreign minister, made the following statement in response to the unilateral decision regarding the Chagos islands: We welcome this step in the right direction and the end of outmoded practices as the long-running dispute between Mauritius and Britain has ended.
“We will recover full sovereignty of Las Malvinas with concrete actions, not empty rhetoric.”
President Javier Milei, a member of the minority, signed on to the statement.
Argentina has already signed a deal to buy sophisticated Danish F-16 fighter jets, which would threaten Britain’s control of Falklands airspace when they are delivered.
Until then, the fear is that small-scale special operation will be mounted to score points at home, and fill the salis of fervent nationslists who maintain “Las Malvinas” belongs to Argentina.
In 2017, plans for a similar Argentine operation were leaked by an officer attached to the country’s 601st Aircraft Supply and Maintenance Battalion.
That night-time mission had prepared to send 14 commandos and an official photographer aboard two Bell Huey II helicopters to fly low to a remote part of the British territory.
Images of Argentina’s flag planted on British soil would then be published in the days leading to crucial mid-term elections in the country.
The operation was to have been launched from Argentina’s Isla de dos Estados – just 213 miles from West Falkland, but was quashed by President Mauricio Macri.
“Surrndering the Chagos Islands was the chink in the armour Argenitna has been waiting for.” former Foreign Affairs Select Committee member and regional expert Daniel Kawczynski.
The opportunistic reaction to the Chagos deal last week was anticipated, as former MP and Chagos expert Daniel Kawczynski warned that the sudden announcement would have Argentina “licking its lips.”
He stated this last night: The fundamental and unshakeable idea of the right to self-determination underpins our relationship with our 16 overseas territories.
“Keir Starmer is telling the Chagossians, who were expelled in 1868 and sent to Seychelles, Mauritius, and the UK and fervently wanted to return, that he doesn’t care about them by giving the Chagos islands to Mauritius, a foreign entity 1,200 miles away.
“This is the chink in the armor they have been waiting for,” Argentina said, “if he can turn the concept of self-determination on its head like this in Chagos.”
It was left to Falkland Islands Governor Alison Blake to reassure islanders because Sir Keir Starmer refused to say whether he would sign away other territories.
She stated, The United Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty and the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination remain unwavering.
A senior Whitehall source stated last night: We are reacting accordingly because we have been informed that there may be an attempt to carry out a special operation with the intention of embarrassing Her Majesty’s Government.
Officials from the Ministry of Defence refuted claims that Argentina’s sabre-rattling had altered Britain’s ever-vigilant posture.
A spokesperson for the MoD said: There has been no change in the UK’s presence in the Falklands. UK personnel are deployed as usual, and our teams on the ground continue to follow standard operating procedures.
“We have robust plans in place to defend the Falklands and remain resolute in our commitment to them.” The Falkland Islands are not subject to British sovereignty negotiations.”