Military of the Falkland Islands

British Forces South Atlantic Islands
The British Joint Forces flag flown in the Falklands[1]
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
BranchJoint Service (Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force)
Sizec. 1,300 to 1,700 military and civilian personnel (as of 2022)[2]
Part ofMinistry of Defence
Commanders
Commander British Forces South Atlantic IslandsBrigadier Dan Duff[3]
Aircraft flown
FighterEurofighter Typhoon
TransportAirbus A400M Atlas C1, Voyager KC2 & (civilian-crewed) Sikorsky S-92, AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters

The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory and, as such, rely on the United Kingdom for the guarantee of their security. The other UK territories in the South Atlantic, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, fall under the protection of British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI), formerly known as British Forces Falkland Islands (BFFI), which includes commitments from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.[4] They are headed by the Commander, British Forces South Atlantic Islands (CBFSAI),[5] a brigadier-equivalent appointment that rotates among all three services (Navy, British Army, and RAF).

Argentina invaded and took control of the Falklands on 2 April 1982. After recapturing the territory in June 1982, the UK invested heavily in the defence of the islands, the centrepiece of which was a new airfield at RAF Mount Pleasant, 27 miles (43 km) west of Stanley.[6] The base was opened in 1985, and became fully operational in 1986.[7]

  1. ^ Flags of the World. "Falkland Islands". Archived from the original on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2006.
  2. ^ Jones, Henry (14 June 2022). "What is the British military presence in the Falkland Islands?". Independent. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  3. ^ https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/stations/mount-pleasant-complex/
  4. ^ Permanent Joint Headquarters. "British Forces South Atlantic Islands". Archived from the original on 13 May 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2006.
  5. ^ Falkland Islands Information Portal. "Acronyms". Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2006.
  6. ^ "Distance between London united kingdom and Port Stanley falkland islands (islas malvinas)". mapcrow.info. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  7. ^ Falkland Islands Government. "Defence". Archived from the original on 5 May 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2006.