FALKLAND ISLANDS
Status: British Overseas Territory
Language: English (Spanish widely understood)
Geography: Located in the South Atlantic Ocean with a land area of 4,700 square miles comprising two main islands and 776 small islands.
Climate: Maritime Subarctic, similar to the Shetland Islands of the North Atlantic but with less rainfall and colder winters.
Population: 3,100
History: Well we all know about it!
DEMOGRAPHICS
Of the 3,000 plus population over 90% are of the usual ethnic British mix (English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh), including British military and contract workers and some of Gibraltarian origin. Among the native Falklanders there is also some French and Scandinavian ancestry. There is also a significant Chilean minority, a few Argentines and Japanese and a number of people from the other British Atlantic territories. Most of the population is of various Christian denominations, and the largest town is the capitol Stanley with a population of over 2,000. Despite Argentine claims to the contrary no Falklander has shown any desire to become Argentinean any time soon.
ECONOMY
Traditionally dependent on sheep farming and fishing, the Falklands War totally transformed the economy. Tourism, commercial fishing, communications, transport and construction, diversified agriculture and servicing the defence forces have given the Falkland Islands the highest standard of living in South America. Commercial shipping fleets from Japan, Spain, South Korea and Taiwan as well as native fishing vessels are granted licenses from the Falklands Fisheries Department and intensively fish within Falkland waters. Significant and exploitable oil and gas reserves are known to be present within four sedimentary basins located around the Falkland Islands, of which three are firmly in Falkland Islands waters and claimed by Britain.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Before the Falklands War there were no paved roads outside of the Stanley, only tracks. By mid-2000 there was nearly 500 miles of paved road network. There is no rail system in the Falklands, a former track north of Stanley harbour was closed in the 1920’s. There are two main seaports, Stanley in East Falkland and Fox Bay in West Falkland, and a ferry service operates between Port Howard and New Haven on both main islands. Outside of RAF Mount Pleasant the Falklands has only one main airport at Port Stanley Airport which has two asphalt runways. Since 2003 flights to Argentina have been suspended and scheduled flights to the UK and Chile are undertaken from Mount Pleasant. Internal flights to 26 landing fields across the Falklands are still maintained by the Falkland Islands Government Air service whose five BN2B Islander aircraft are based from Port Stanley Airport. The British Antarctic Survey also used Port Stanley who’s Dash 7 and four Twin otters are used for flights to British Antarctic bases at Rothera and Halley and other bases in Antarctica and South Georgia. The British Antarctic Survey also operates a research ship and a logistic supply ship who frequently call at the Falklands.
MILITARY
Falkland Islands Defence Force
Locally funded volunteer defence force which works with British forces. Basically a well funded and supported militia with high quality training and equipment and British military leadership.
Strength: One company of over 200 personnel when mobilised with British Territorial Army standard training.
Role: Light infantry, with reconnaissance, amphibious and logistic support roles.
Weapons: L-7 7.62mm GPMGs, Steyr AUG 5.56mm assault rifles, Browning L9A1 9mm pistols, AG36 grenade launchers. Various military and civilian sniper and hunting rifles also used.
Vehicles: Land Rovers, civilian vehicles, motorbikes and quad bikes.
Other Equipment: Rigid inflatable boats.
British Army
The British Army maintains a small garrison unit in the Falkland Islands of a roulement infantry company, an engineer squadron, a signals unit, a logistics group and supporting services based at Mount Pleasant. Total strength at any one time is about 500 personnel. Standard British small arms are used plus a few heavier weapons such as M2 Browning’s, mortars, and possibly anti-tank missiles and man-portable SAM’s in stock. Vehicles include Land Rovers and some trucks. During the early part of the Twilight War when the war was going well for NATO and before the UK is nuked it is probable that the Falklands garrison was reinforced with extra troops and stocks of heavy weapons, such as towed light artillery guns and possibly a few light armoured vehicles such as Scimitar etc. At the very least it is likely that the original Army units plus additional war stocks would remain in the Falklands during the Twilight War.
Royal Air Force
The RAF presence in the Falklands is centred on RAF Mount Pleasant, which was heavily developed after the Falklands War in 1982. Mount Pleasant has two asphalt runways (2,590m & 1,525m) supporting RAF aircraft and helicopter operations. Four Tornado F.3s were rotationally based at Mount Pleasant until they were replaced by Typhoon’s in 2009. A VC-10 tanker, a Hercules transport and two Sea King helicopters are also based at Mount Pleasant, as well as two civilian operated Sikorsky S-61’s. Scheduled flights to London and Chile are maintained from the air base, as well as less frequent flights to RAF bases in the UK, Ascension Island and to other locations in the Falklands. Mount Pleasant also houses a joint communication unit for electronic warfare and command and control systems for the Army, Royal Navy and RAF, and a battery of Rapier SAM is maintained by the RAF Regiment. According to any article I have seen about the RAF in the Twilight War the Tornado F.3 was kept in the UK throughout the war in Europe until the later stages as it was a long ranged interceptor rather than an agile tactical fighter, and the small size of the RAF force in the Falkland’s may have led to it remaining there throughout the T2K conflict, as four combat jets and a few support aircraft would not have made any difference to the outcome of the war in Europe.
The presence of the Tornado F.3s would also be a major deterrent to Argentina. The F.3 is derivative of its bomber cousin and has a two hour CAP endurance without drop tanks and a combat range at sub-sonic speed of over 1,000 nautical miles. It is also very fast and can reach speeds of well over Mach 2. It carries eight air-to-air missiles and a 27mm Mauser cannon, and has ten hardpoints for 19,800 ibs of ordinance, and the Argentine Air Force has nothing that can handle it.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy has a port facility at Mare Harbour adjacent to RAF Mount Pleasant. At this time one Castle Class Patrol Vessel with a helicopter flight deck, 1x 30mm gun and capacity to temporarily support up to 120 troops is based in the Falkland Islands, and there is also a small Royal Marine presence. A missile destroyer or frigate and an ice breaker/fleet auxiliary are assigned to the South Atlantic Patrol to protect British interests in the region including the Falkland Islands. British nuclear attack submarines are also regularly sent to the region. In the T2K period the Castle Class patrol vessel is likely to be still in the Falklands, although other ships may have been withdrawn to the North Atlantic. However the remote and untouched location of the Falkland Islands would also be an attractive option for naval commanders and the surviving British government, and it is possible that a few major British warships could be held in reserve in the Falklands.
ASSESMENT
Without even looking at the Argentine military it is clear that they retain the capacity to invade the Falkland Islands with a large and functional army, air force and navy, although I doubt their military capabilities have increased much or at all since the Falklands War. However the Falklands are infinitely better prepared for an Argentine invasion than they were in 1982 and they and the British government would be expecting it. Reinforcement from Britain after the UK is nuked will be limited or non-existent, but even in the Twilight War it would be difficult for Argentina to invade and they would be facing a thousand well armed and motivated British troops and natives. RAF Tornado F3s in the Falklands would also be a major deterrent to an invasion as they would be to powerful for the Argentine air force to deal with, and would create havoc on any Argentine naval force heading towards the Falklands if armed with anti-ship missiles. If the British have a nuclear attack submarine in the South Atlantic; and I suspect that at least a few British subs will survive the war, they could be in Falklands waters in days and you can forget about the Argentine navy getting involved.
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