Commodore Darren Bone MA has been appointed as the next Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands (CBFSAI), with headquarters in the Falkland Islands, and in April will replace Air Commodore Russ LaForte who has held the post since August 2013.
The Argentine government and media agree that the country does not have the military capacity to attack the Falkland Islands as feared by Britain. A report in daily La Nacion points out the Argentine armed forces lack landing crafts, troop transport vessels and even the Mirage fighter planes are banned from flying on cloudy days because of repeated problems with their instruments.
Argentina 'never had in consideration' the possibility of purchasing fighter aircraft from Russia, such as the Sukhoi Su-24, to replace the aging French Mirages to be decommissioned by the end of the year, said Defense minister Agustín Rossi.
The Falkland Islands elected Legislative Assembly welcomed the statement of Secretary of Defense before the House of Commons and said it was reassuring that the UK government remains committed to the defense of the Islands, and equally significant the strong support received by the secretary from members of Parliament.
Argentina will take the United Kingdom before the United Nations Decolonization Committee following London's announcement it was increasing expenditure on the Falkland Islands defense, said Foreign minister Hector Timerman on Wednesday.
The government of President Cristina Fernandez accused the United Kingdom of using an alleged Argentine threat to the Falkland/Malvinas Islands in order to boost its military budget, while also claiming that the archipelago has been turned into an electoral campaign issue.
United Kingdom Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has dispelled media reports suggesting a surge in troop numbers was likely. Fallon on Tuesday outlined £180 million infrastructure spending plans, but told MPs numbers would remain at around 1,200 military and civilian personnel.
A statement from UK Defense secretary Michael Fallon relative to the Falkland Islands' garrison is expected sometime this week, according to reports in the British media. The Falklands' military response capacity has been a matter of much ongoing debate among analysts and former officers, as Argentina allegedly is involved in increased military expenditure.
A Royal Navy warship has seized cocaine with a wholesale value of £10 million from a yacht in the Caribbean. Just 24 hours after helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Gonzalo in Bermuda, the Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll’s Lynx helicopter spotted the yacht in the Atlantic.
A package of new measures announced by the Defense Secretary has reaffirmed the UK’s support to Gibraltar. On his first visit since becoming Secretary of State, Michael Fallon paid tribute to those working to support defense activities in Gibraltar and emphasized the strategic importance of the permanent joint operating base there.