The Argentines had a number of combat aircraft. A coordinated effort involving an all-out air assault at the schwerpunkt might have swamped British defenses. Obviously, the Brits knew this and would have taken measures to prevent the Argentines from getting their forces into position to launch such an attack. The conditions under which the decisive battle would have been fought would have been determined by the foresight of the respective senior commands and the capabilities of the screening forces. Also, I really have no idea whether the Argentines could have coordinated an air-surface attack involving all or almost all of their assets. These things are much easier said than done.
It seems in the end that the Argentines just didn't have a Plan B. Once their assumptions about the way things were supposed to go didn’t pan out, they had no idea what to do next. Under those circumstances, the Royal Navy had a clear advantage because they had a clear idea of what they wanted to accomplish. Also, the Royal Navy does a good job of allowing its leaders to take the initiative within the overall scope of the mission. Very important.
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“We’re not innovating. We’re selectively imitating.” June Bernstein, Acting President of the University of Arizona in Tucson, November 15, 1998.
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