Early on April 2, 1982, hundreds of Argentine troops landed on the Falkland Islands, known to Argentina as the Islas Malvinas.
The islands were a small British overseas territory some 400 miles east of Argentina and 8,000 miles south of Britain. Despite their small size and sparse population, the islands were the subject of a long-running dispute between Britain and Argentina.
The small British garrison surrendered by the afternoon on April 2, after several intense firefights. It was a badly needed victory for Argentina’s military junta, which hoped to distract from its oppressive governance and other domestic issues.
The junta believed that Britain, facing its own domestic problems, wouldn’t put up a fight from so far away.
They were sorely mistaken. Over the next 74 days, Britain sent 15,000 troops — aboard warships, logistics vessels, and even cruise liners — to retake the islands.
The Falklands War would see many military firsts, and 39 years later, it remains the most recent war between two states involving large air, land, and naval battles.
Because of this, Chinese military planners have studied it extensively, seeing a number of parallels between the Falklands War and a potential war over Taiwan.
A War of Firsts
British troops during Bren gun training aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, a cruise ship used as a troopship during the Falklands War, in May 1982. (JDHC Archive/Getty Images)
The war began in earnest on May 1, 1982, after negotiations over control of the islands broke down. The first shots were fired in the air by Argentine aircraft attempting to intercept the Royal Navy task force sent to secure the area for the invasion force.
Early on April 2, 1982, hundreds of Argentine troops landed on the Falkland Islands, known to Argentina as the Islas Malvinas.
The islands were a small British overseas territory some 400 miles east of Argentina and 8,000 miles south of Britain. Despite their small size and sparse population, the islands were the subject of a long-running dispute between Britain and Argentina.
The small British garrison surrendered by the afternoon on April 2, after several intense firefights. It was a badly needed victory for Argentina’s military junta, which hoped to distract from its oppressive governance and other domestic issues.
British soldiers surrender during the Falklands War, April 1982. Rafael WOLLMANN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
The junta believed that Britain, facing its own domestic problems, wouldn’t put up a fight from so far away.
They were sorely mistaken. Over the next 74 days, Britain sent 15,000 troops — aboard warships, logistics vessels, and even cruise liners — to retake the islands.
The Falklands War would see many military firsts, and 39 years later, it remains the most recent war between two states involving large air, land, and naval battles.
Because of this, Chinese military planners have studied it extensively, seeing a number of parallels between the Falklands War and a potential war over Taiwan.
A War of Firsts
British troops during Bren gun training aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, a cruise ship used as a troopship during the Falklands War, in May 1982. (JDHC Archive/Getty Images)
The war began in earnest on May 1, 1982, after negotiations over control of the islands broke down. The first shots were fired in the air by Argentine aircraft attempting to intercept the Royal Navy task force sent to secure the area for the invasion force.
Harrier jump jets, facing aerial combat for the first time, and their pilots proved to be excellent dogfighters. The British jets, armed with the new AIM-9L variant of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile, downed four Argentine jets on the first day alone. It was the first large-scale deployment of the new Sidewinder.
Throughout the war, British Harriers would shoot down 21 Argentine aircraft without losing any jets to enemy aircraft, though 10 were lost to ground-based anti-aircraft systems and accidents.
Harriers and Vulcan strategic bombers — the latter flying from thousands of miles away — also began bombarding Argentine positions the same day.
Argentine Navy cruiser ARA General Belgrano sinking, May 2, 1982. (Rafael WOLLMANN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Argentine Navy attempted to catch the British task force in a pincer maneuver. In the north, Argentina’s sole carrier, the Veinticinco de Mayo, was prepared to attack with its aircraft, but they couldn’t take off due to weather conditions.
A day later in the south, Argentine cruiser General Belgrano and two Argentine destroyers were attacked by HMS Conqueror, a British nuclear-powered attack submarine. Belgrano was hit by two torpedoes and sank within 45 minutes, killing 323 crew members.
It was the first and so far only time a nuclear-powered submarine has sunk an enemy warship. Horrified at the prospect of losing more vessels — especially its carrier — the Argentine Navy ordered all its ships back to home waters.
Indeed, two more nuclear-powered subs, HMS Splendid and HMS Spartan, were chasing the carrier and almost managed to attack before it slipped away.
The British also took casualties. On May 4, the destroyer HMS Sheffield was hit by an Exocet anti-ship missile fired by an Argentine Navy Super Étendard fighter jet — the first time the advanced missile was used in combat — killing 20 sailors and injuring 26.
HMS Sheffield after being hit by an Argentine Exocet missile in the South Atlantic, May 10, 1982. (Martin Cleaver – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
As the Royal Navy unloaded the invasion force, it was repeatedly attacked by Argentine aircraft. In total, four British warships, a landing ship, and a container ship were sunk. At least 12 other ships were damaged.
The single largest British loss of life came in an air attack on the landing ship Sir Galahad, which killed 48 sailors and wounded 115.
Once ashore, the British fought multiple battles in freezing conditions across the islands’ barren, windswept landscape. Combat was particularly hard in the mountains and hills, where the Argentines were dug in.
But the British steadily advanced. On June 14, the surrounded Argentines surrendered.
The British had lost 255 troops, with over 700 wounded. Argentina had been thoroughly beaten: 649 of its troops had been killed and some 1,600 wounded. More than 11,000 Argentine troops were taken prisoner. Argentina also lost a cruiser, a submarine, and about 100 aircraft.
Lessons for China
British Navy ships under Argentine attack after landing troops to retake the Falklands, May 21, 1982. (Pete Holdgate/Crown Copyright/Imperial War Museums via Getty Images)
China’s military wasn’t involved in the Falklands in any way, but its analysts have studied the conflict extensively, largely because of the many similarities likely to be seen in a conflict over Taiwan.
In that scenario, China, like Argentina, would invade islands off its coast and then fend off a relief force — most likely from the US, which, like the British, would need to travel thousands of miles.
Vice Adm. Ding Yiping, a former deputy commander and chief of staff of the Chinese navy, wrote in 2000 that “for the future of military theory, development of military units and of military equipment, [the Falklands/Malvinas] war produced a deep influence.”
The Chinese have identified where Argentine forces made mistakes and worked to ensure they would not repeat them.
Among the main Chinese conclusions was that Argentina seriously underestimated Britain’s will and ability to fight while overestimating their own, that long British supply lines were a vulnerability, and that air superiority is of paramount importance.
A British Navy Sea King helicopter takes off after unloading Royal Marines in the Falklands, June 1982. (Paul Haley/ Crown Copyright/Imperial War Museums via Getty Images)
Argentina didn’t deploy its best troops in the Falklands out of concern about threats to the mainland, nor did it deploy tanks, though 10 AML-90 Panhard armored cars were sent to the islands. Argentina also didn’t have a domestic arms industry able to produce weapons needed to fight the British, like the air-launched Exocets, of which Argentina had only five.
The massive British logistical network was able to operate largely uninterrupted because of inferior Argentine air and naval power. After Argentina’s surface fleet was ordered home, the Navy relied on its last remaining submarine, ARA San Luis, to conduct attacks, all of which failed.
The lessons of the Falklands War can be seen in the Chinese military’s meteoric rise over the last two decades.
China’s Navy, now the largest in the world, is “largely composed of modern multi-role platforms featuring advanced anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-submarine weapons and sensors,” according to a 2020 Pentagon report.
Among China’s ships are two aircraft carriers, 32 destroyers, 49 frigates, and 49 corvettes. China’s submarine force also gives it capabilities that Argentina lacked.
Captured Argentine soldiers guarded by a Royal Marine, June 2, 1982. (PA Images via Getty Images)
While the San Luis’ attacks were unsuccessful, they did force the British military to remain on the defensive and expend most of its available anti-submarine weapons.
Argentina only had two operational submarines in 1982. China now has 60, including 10 nuclear-powered attack and ballistic-missile submarines.
China’s Air Force and Navy together are the largest aviation forces in the region, with 850 fighters and bombers in the Eastern and Southern theaters alone. Particularly worrying are China’s J-20 stealth fighters and H-6J bombers, the latter of which can each carry seven supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles as far as the second island chain.
Of the many conflicts Chinese military officials have studied, perhaps none are as comprehensive as the Falklands War. It remains a practical example of what a modern full-scale war in the air, on land, and at sea could look like.
This article was written by Benjamin Brimelow and originally published on the Insider.
Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world.
PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States
Scrubba Wash Bag
Our ultra-portable washing machine makes your journey easier. This convenient, pocket-sized travel companion allows you to travel lighter while helping you save money, time and water.
Our roots in shooting sports started off back in 1996 with our founder and CEO, Josh Ungier. His love of airguns took hold of our company from day one and we became the first e-commerce retailer dedicated to airguns, optics, ammo, and accessories. Over the next 25 years, customers turned to us for our unmatched product selection, great advice, education, and continued support of the sport and airgun industry.
COMMENTS
There are on this article.
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.