How many wars did Britain and Argentina have? What is the process of war?

1 time, naval battle on Yingama Island!

The Malvinas Islands War

The Malvinas Islands (referred to as the Falkland Islands), also known as the Falkland Islands, are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, more than 500 kilometers away from Argentina and 500 kilometers away from the United Kingdom. About 13,000 kilometers, the strategic location is very important. For a long time, Argentina and the United Kingdom have had a major dispute over the sovereignty of the Falklands. Finally, in 1982, the largest naval battle since World War II broke out.

After the negotiations between Britain and Afghanistan on February 26, 1982 in New York, relations between the two parties began to deteriorate. The Argentine government decided to regain the Falklands by force, so on April 2 and 3, a commando force of more than 400 people from the army, navy and air force landed in Port Stanley and South Georgia Island. The British government responded quickly and dispatched a task force, including the aircraft carriers "Invincible" and "Arena", to travel thousands of miles to the South Atlantic, determined to recapture the Falklands.

Although Argentina’s land area is 11.4 times that of the United Kingdom (the population of the United Kingdom is 1.7 times that of Argentina), the United Kingdom was the “British Empire” that once dominated the world and was a highly industrialized country; while Argentina in the 16th century It became a Spanish colony in the middle of the century and did not become independent until 1816. However, its economy has always been controlled by the United Kingdom and the United States. It is a developing country mainly based on agriculture and animal husbandry. Whether in terms of comprehensive national strength or military strength, Britain is a strong country, while Argentina is a weak country. When Argentina sent troops to capture the Falklands, the British people were shocked. However, despite the shock, the British government quickly made the decision to dispatch a task force to take back the Falklands by force on April 3. The British Navy was unprepared and rushed into war.

For technology-intensive naval ship units, especially modern high-tech forces like aircraft carriers that integrate ship technology, there is no time of about 10 days to prepare for war, and it is usually difficult to transition from a peaceful state to a warship. In a state of war, on April 5, after the "Invincible" aircraft carrier formation and the "Sports God" aircraft carrier formation hurriedly completed the necessary preparations, they set sail from Portsmouth Harbor at 10:00 and 11:00 respectively. When the two aircraft carrier formations passed through the English Channel, helicopters continued to deliver various combat materials and supplies to the ships. After sailing into the Atlantic Ocean, the aircraft carrier formation began non-stop drills to strengthen combat preparations. When passing Ascension Island on April 17, they stayed for two days for rest and replenishment. On April 20, when the task force entered the combat radius of Argentine aircraft, all ships were on high alert. The flight decks of the two aircraft carriers There is always a "Sea Harrier" fighter jet on board, ready for emergency takeoff at any time. On April 23, the task force arrived safely in the waters near South Georgia Island and occupied the island on the 25th. The next day, a "Big Lynx" helicopter sank the Afghan submarine "Santa Fe".

On May 1, the British army began their attack on Tsushima Island. The first attack consisted of an Air Force Vulcan bomber taking off from Ascension Island. After three aerial refuelings, it struck Stanley Airport on the Falklands at 4 a.m. The second attack was carried out by "Sea Harrier" fighter jets from the aircraft carriers "Invincible" and "Arena" at 8:20 on Stanley Port and the airport again. In response to the British attack, the Afghan Navy dispatched the aircraft carrier "May 25" and the cruiser "Belgrano" and other main ships to form three task forces to attack the British fleet. At 17:00, two Argentine "Stiletto" fighter jets launched an attack on the British task force. One of them was shot down by a British "Sea Harrier" fighter jet using a "Sidewinder" missile. In the evening, two Argentine "Canberra" bombers launched another attack on the task force. One of them was shot down by a "Sea Harrier" fighter jet taking off from the aircraft carrier, and another was damaged. The "Swift" frigate in the British task force was slightly damaged. . On May 2, the British Navy's "Conqueror" nuclear submarine used an old-fashioned Mk-8 trigger torpedo to sink the Albanian Navy's "Belgrano" cruiser. Since then, the "May 25" aircraft carrier and other main force Ships no longer dared to leave port to fight.

On May 4, a low-flying Albanian military-made "Super Etendard" fighter jet spotted the British Navy's guided-missile destroyer "Sheffield" and "Portsmouth" 80 kilometers away from the British task force. Sri Lanka frigate and launched two AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles about 30 kilometers away from the British ship. At this time, the guided missile destroyer "Sheffield" was responsible for the task of relaying satellite communication signals between the task force and London. The radar stopped working. When the "Exocet" missile hit the ship with 6 seconds left, the ship completed the satellite communication. The communication mission turned on the radar and discovered the target, but it was too late. Before the control center had time to respond effectively, the passing missile hit the middle of the port side of the ship. The missile passed through the ship and penetrated into the control center below the deck. The explosion opened a large hole 1.8 meters above the waterline. The explosion paralyzed the warship's power, lighting, and fire-fighting systems, ignited the dense plastic coverings of wires and communication cables, and filled the ship with poisonous smoke. Four hours later, the captain ordered the ship to be abandoned. The frigate "Plymouth" discovered the incoming missile in time and avoided being bombed. On May 10, the guided missile destroyer "Sheffield" sank during towage.

At the beginning of the formation of the task force, the British had realized that the carrier-based aircraft provided by two aircraft carriers alone could not meet the needs of the Falklands operations. Therefore, on April 12, they commandeered the "Atlantic" The Conveyor container ship transports Sea Harrier fighter jets and accessories to the task force. Later, the British requisitioned the container ship "Atlantic Causeway" to transport the newly formed "Sea King" helicopter squadron. On May 7, the British Army flew 14 Air Force "Harrier" fighter jets and 6 "Sea Harrier" fighter jets from the British mainland for 9 hours after multiple in-flight refuelings to Ascension Island, where they were then transported to the task force. As a result, the British aviation force doubled in mid-May.

On May 20, the United Nations peace mediation failed, and the British task force issued an order for a landing operation that night. The British army successfully confused the Afghan army. Two hours before dawn on the 21st, about 2,500 soldiers successfully landed at the Port of San Carlos. After the British troops landed, the Argentine Air Force stepped up its attacks on the task force and the island landing troops. The five frigates covering the landing operations in San Carlos Bay were bombed and attacked by the Argentine Air Force's "Mirage" fighter jets and "Skyhawk" attack aircraft. During the strafing attack, the frigate "Enthusiasm" was sunk and another one was severely damaged. On the 23rd, the British Navy's "Antelope" frigate sank under attack by the Afghan Air Force.

May 25th is Argentina’s National Independence Day. Almost all Argentina’s frontline combat aircraft were engaged in the battle, making it difficult for the British army to cope. The guided-missile destroyer "Coventry" was the first to be hit by four thousand-pound aerial bombs dropped by a "Skyhawk" attack aircraft, and sank immediately. The missile frigate "Da Dao" was also seriously damaged. In the other direction, the container ship "Atlantic Conveyor" was attacked by an "Exocet" missile and caught fire. More than ten helicopters and a large number of aircraft spare parts and supplies stored on the ship were not unloaded. After 23 days of fighting for the island, the Argentine defenders on the island could no longer fight and had to surrender to the British army on June 14.

The Falklands War lasted for 74 days from April 2 to June 14. The British Navy lost 30 ships, 20 aircraft, and more than 500 casualties; Argentina lost 10 ships and 90 aircraft. plane, with more than 1,000 casualties. It ended with the Afghan army being forced to surrender and the British army retaking the Falklands.