30 Years Since The Falklands War

Today marks 30 years since the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina in 1982. 

The conflict resulted from the long-standing dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which lie in the South Atlantic, east of Argentina.

The Falklands War began on Friday 2 April 1982, when Argentine forces invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

The UK under Margaret Thatcher immediately dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force, and retake the islands by amphibious assault.

The resulting conflict lasted 74 days and ended with the Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982, which returned the islands to British control. 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel and three Falkland Islanders died during the conflict. It remains the most recent external conflict to be fought by the UK without any allied states

The conflict was the result of a protracted historical confrontation regarding the sovereignty of the islands. Argentina has asserted that the Falkland Islands are Argentinian territory since the 19th century. Argentina still claims sovereignty over the disputed islands. 



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