Argentina’s invasion threat is ‘bull****’ – RAF jets would ‘hammer’ their troops, says Falklands war commander

A HEROIC Falklands war commander has blasted Argentina’s latest threats to take the islands as “bull****”. Ex-Royal Marine Commando Major General Julian Thompson said RAF jets would “hammer” enemy troops if the Argentinian President Javier Milei dared to pick a fight with Britain. Ex-Royal Marine Commando Major General Julian Thompson has blasted Argentina’s latest threats to take the islands as ‘bull****’ Credit: PA Troops of the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, arrive at RAF brize Norton as they return from duty in the Falklands in 1982 Credit: PA Maj Gen Thompson, 91, who led 3 Commando Brigade in the deadly 1982 conflict, said: “They are just bull****ting as usual.” He added: “They won’t be able to take the Falklands because the Air Force will hammer them.” Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! There are four RAF Typhoons fighter jets permanently based in the South Atlantic as well as an infantry company, a Royal Navy patrol ship and Sky Sabre air defence missile batteries. Maj Gen Thompson added: “The Typhoons will take care of them. I just hope Donald Trump isn’t stupid enough to take Argentina’s side. “Russia and China would love that.” It comes after Donald Trump suggested he would not back the UK if Argentina invaded the archipelago, citing the lack of support in the war on Iran. It follows a leak of an internal Pentagon email in April implying the US may review its position on the islands. But he warned the dire state of Britain’s forces meant there was almost “nothing to send” if London had to dispatch a task force as it did in 1982. Most read in The Sun Maj Gen Thompson, 91, led 3 Commando Brigade in the deadly 1982 conflict Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd The devastated airstrip of Port Stanley during the Falklands conflict Credit: PA The veteran continued: “It’s really pathetic. What would we send?” The Royal Navy has shrunk to its smallest size since it was founded by Henry VIII. It lost more warships under Keir Starmer’s government than the eight that were sunk in the Falklands War. Today, the Navy boasts barely five working frigates, no amphibious assault ships and all its hunter killer nuclear submarines are stuck in ports in the UK. The Falkland Islands are the subject of a major dispute between Britain and Argentina Credit: AFP Thompson said hunter killers were “what the Argentines are really afraid of”. But only one of the six Astute class subs has been put to sea this year. Three have been tied alongside each other for three years. And The Sun revealed the Army has been ordered to halt training as the MoD is out of cash mid-way through the financial year. Falkland Islanders put two fingers up to Milei and insist they want to stay British DEFIANT Falkland Islanders put two fingers up to Javier Milei today by insisting they want to stay British. They dismissed “threats and claims” as old hat and vowed to press on development – code for drilling for oil off the coast. In a statement the islands Legislative Assembly said their right to be British was enshrined in law and would not be threatened by leaders’ hot air. They said: “Our future is a matter for the people who live here to decide. That is a right grounded in international law, and it is not altered by the statements of any other government.” Donald Trump hinted America would not back Britain over the islands due a lack of UK support for his war of choice in Iran. He said US support for Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands was currently under review. Milei vowed to fight “tooth and nail” for the islands and threatened to sanction companies drilling for oil in the Falklands territorial waters. The Falklands’ elected government added: “Statements like the ones made this week are not new to us. “Our long-established community has faced pressure of this kind many times over the decades, and despite this the Islands have continued to grow, develop, and thrive. “Threats and claims have never held back the Falkland Islands development in the past, and they will not now.” A 2013 referendum saw 99.8 per cent of islanders voted to remain a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. They said: “That democratic choice is clear, and it stands. “We remain confident, settled and focused on the future our people have chosen.” Javier Milei insisted the islands are a crucial part of Argentina’s ‘future’, while announcing sanctions on oil companies working ‘under the British occupation’ Credit: Shutterstock Editorial A Falkland official dismissed Milei’s rant as “nothing new”. They said: “We have been dealing with this for years. Nothing has changed. “Of course we are monitoring it, but we are perfectly confident in our relationship with the UK government and we have had assurances from them today.” It comes as Milei insisted the islands are a crucial part of Argentina’s “future”, while announcing sanctions on oil companies working off the islands “under the British occupation”. He warned the UK is facing “multiple crises” that are “unlikely to be resolved” while “Argentina‘s future is flourishing and will prevail”. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband denounced Milei’s outlandish claim, as he doubled down on Britain’s “unwavering position”. Comment now