MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Clear message from Falklands 25 years later

RAF Tornadoes and others Forces ensure the message is clearly understood

This article from the May edition of Defence Focus, the magazine of the British Ministry of Defence, by Graham Bound, examines the defence of the Falkland Islands today, as the civilian and military communities there prepare to commemorate the 25th anniversary of conflict.

During the gruelling 17-hour flight between RAF Brize Norton and RAF Mount Pleasant aboard a MOD-charted Boeing 747, the boredom is relieved only by warmed-up meals and even more tepid films fuzzily projected onto screens with 1970s technology. However, some excellent in-flight entertainment is saved until the final half hour of the flight. Just before descent, a voice from the cockpit invites passengers to look out their windows. There they see a pair of Tornado fighters "formating" on the wingtips. In these post-9/11 days, the arrival of two fighters packing sidewinder missiles could have passengers frantically texting their final "I-love-you" messages. But the waving pilots are friendly. And anyway, there are those reassuring roundels. It is not completely clear why the jet jockeys of 1435 Flight (part of 905 Expeditionary Air Wing) go through this ritual every time an airliner approaches the main base at Mount Pleasant. Some say that they are checking to make sure that no maverick pilots with ill-intent are coasting into the base, hiding in another plane's radar "shadow". Or perhaps the pilots like a change from the daily practice scrambles and mock attacks. Whatever it is, it is not for fun. On the ground at the sprawling tri-service base 40 miles from the capital, Port Stanley, 1435 Flight's OC, Squadron Leader Pete Brombley, and his colleagues clearly take things very seriously. "Our job is to deter any incursions in a zone of 150 miles radius," he says very soberly. "We're here to deter. And it's working." His team works closely with the Rapier anti-aircraft batteries of 16 Regiment RA, which ring Mount Pleasant. Tornado and Rapier crews engage in mock combat daily. "We are on constant alert here," says a surprisingly blunt-speaking Captain Rob Wood of 30 Battery. "Aircraft taking off from the mainland could be here in 40 minutes." The reason for such blunt speaking is that in nearby Argentina the "Malvinas" cause is still very much alive, and the country's politicians â€" not least its President, Nestor Kirchner â€" are banging the nationalistic drum. The Argentines have backed out of an agreement to cooperate over oil exploration in the area, and will not allow increased commercial flights between the Islands and Chile. Steady, though. No-one is suggesting seriously that these moves could escalate to conflict. President Kirchner has made it clear he intends to pursue the claim by peaceful means, and there would be no support in Argentina for another war. But there is always a chance that a rogue element could see the media attention given to the anniversary as a chance for a publicity stunt. The commander of British Forces South Atlantic Islands, Brigadier Nick Davies, is happy to talk candidly about the situation. "I would not wish to change what we do here," he says. "I'm here to make sure that we have an efficient force and to make sure that the 1982 conflict does not happen again. And I'm pretty confident I've got the tools." The tools are impressive. As well as Tornadoes and Rapier, there are troop-moving helicopters; a flight of Hercules and VC10 transports and tankers; a destroyer (currently HMS Edinburgh); a Castle class patrol ship; 105mm artillery, and at least a company of infantry with support units. The Brigadier came to Mount Pleasant from a posting in Afghanistan, and many of his colleagues have also been hardened by the conflicts there and in Iraq. If such experiences teach anything, it is the need for clear and unambiguous statement of intent and purpose. That principle was overlooked once in the Falklands. It seems unlikely to happen again. Self defence In 1982 the Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) was a tiny force, barely platoon-strength, and not equipped for modern warfare. Nevertheless, when news was received of the impending invasion, the men turned out and did their duty, defending key points around the capital, Stanley. Times have changed. Now at roughly company strength, the FIDF plays a full role in defending the Islands. Armed with Austrian Steyer rifles and machine guns up to .5 inch calibre, the mainly part-time soldiers train hard with the regular Army. Highly mobile, they travel in Land Rovers, on quad-cycles and in rigid raider fast boats. Vets of 82' Still Guard Falklands Two men serving aboard HMS Edinburghoff the Falklands first came to the islands during the war. Warrant Officer First Class Dicky Davies and Chief Petty Officer Mark "Bungy" Edwards are veterans of the bomb and missile attacks. Back in 1982, Dicky was a 21-year-old leading seaman aboard HMS Broadsword, and Bungy was an artificer apprentice on HMS Yarmouth.Dicky remembered the landings of 21 May vividly. "In the afternoon, the Argentines came at us in waves of four to six aircraft. The high ground around San Carlos meant the ship's radar was of little use. Generally, the crew had to man their guns and hope for the best." Aboard Yarmouth, Bungy was a member of a damage control party and waited below decks. "I was in blissful ignorance of most of the things going on outside," he recalled. A few days later, Broadsword, with Dicky aboard, was back out at sea, but there was no safety there. Broadsword was near Coventrywhen the latter was hit by four Skyhawks. The Type 42 destroyer capsized with the loss of 19 men. Dicky and his shipmates helped the survivors board their ship. Some were clutching nothing but letters received from their loved ones. Bungy's ship, HMS Yarmouth, rushed to the assistance of HMS Sheffield when the destroyer was hit by an Exocet. He recalled: "I was using a hose to cool the heli-deck, as she was carrying torpedoes there. We tried to tow Sheffieldto South Georgia, but she sank under tow." Looking back on the terrible events of 25 years ago, Dicky said, "We grew up very quickly then. I allow myself to visit the war occasionally. It comes back when it wants to. If I go to church, I spend a few minutes thinking about the guys."