MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

RN vessels with nuclear weapons in Falklands conflict

British surface warships during the 1982 South Atlantic conflict with Argentina carried nuclear depth charges but the weapons never entered territorial waters of any Latinamerican country and a decision not to use the weapons was made before the ships left for the Falkland Islands, confirmed this Friday the British Ministry of Defence.

This is the first time the British government has admitted that the Task Force assembled for the Falklands war was equipped with nuclear weapons.

British Defence sources indicated it was routine for British naval surface ships to carry nuclear weapons during the eighties in the height of the cold war. The practice was finally ended in 1993.

During the 1982 conflict the then Soviet Union insistently claimed that the British Task Force surface and nuclear powered submarines, carried nuclear weapons.

The Argentine government that was previously informed of the British Ministry of Defence official Friday acknowledgement expressed deep concern and demanded assurances from the United Kingdom that no nuclear weapons had been left in the sunken Royal Navy vessels in the South Atlantic.

"This incident could have had huge consequences for the inhabitants, natural resources and environment of the region", said a spokesman for the Argentine government. "It is unacceptable to try and justify such an action during an operation aimed at preserving a colony in the South Atlantic".

According to the British MOD the weapons never reached the combat zone as they were removed during the journey and transferred to ships returning to the UK.

However seven containers carrying the nuclear weapons were lightly damaged when transferred from ship to ship admits MOD.

"The decision was taken to transfer them to other ships heading back home; there had never been any intention of using the weapons".

British MOD insisted to the Italian news agency ANSA that no nuclear weapons were lost during the 1982 conflict with Argentina, in spite of several Royal Navy vessels having been sunk during the two and a half month conflict.

Following on the Soviet claim, several British Navy divers after the war were honoured for having rescued "sensitive equipment" from HMS Sheffield that was sunken by the Argentine aircraft May 4, 1982, Britain's first major loss in the South Atlantic conflict.