Introduction
The Magnitude of the Falklands/Malvinas conflict in 1982 between Britain and Argentina dictated that both employ a handful of military operational arts particularly logistics, command and control. In the heart, of the 1982 conflict in the contentious issue of the Falklands/Malvinas islands ownership, Command and control, and logistical functions featured prominently among the operations and preparations of both warring parties. According to Hime (2010, 4), “Ownership of the Falklands/Malvinas Islands since their initial discovery has always been determined by force, with British control last established in 1833 following the expulsion of the Argentine gunboat Sarandi, and its contingent of soldiers, convicts from the penal colony at San Carlos, and Argentine settlers”. The bone of contention arose from Argentina’s quest to reclaim the Falkland Islands. Consequently, this potential invasion threat called for the British Marines to be prepared to counter any military, bureaucratic, or logistical threat posed by the Argentines.
According to Thomson (1991, 2), Britain learned of the invasion threat on the actual year of the conflict, April 1982. In light of all these occurrences, both countries relied on the command and control, and logistical, military operational functions prominently. The essay focuses on how both countries used the two functions in the planning, synchronization, and conduct of the operation. In the command, and control function the paper expounds on the factors that influenced and determined command and control compositions in both Britain and Argentina. From the logistical aspect, the treatise seeks to expound on the issues that both Argentina and Britain faced, the logistical issues, and the cons...
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...e incorporation of up to 65 ships and 15,000 troops was a fruitful logistical move for the British in the second operation. Similarly, the illustrations demonstrate how organized command structures combine to achieve mission objectives. Argentina’s initial conquest was perpetuated by and organized combatant command. In the second invasion, the hierarchy of command from the prime minister to the deputies in the British Army led to the reversal of the initial outcome of the invasion.
References
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Thomson, J. (1991). The Lifeblood of War: Logistics in Armed Conflicts. The United States Naval War College. 249-288; 371-374.
With careful planning, co-operation, good leadership and courage, Currie managed to bring out the characteristics of a well thought out success at Vimy Ridge in April of 1917 (Dancocks, 1985). Sir Arthur Currie’s responsibility was to command the 1st Canadian Division (Hyatt, 1987). He pushed his troops to undergo rigorous training and to prepare themselves by using a life-size course, with every trench marked by tape and a flag (Dancocks, 1985). Currie designed very accurate maps and he had a small-scale plasticine model built so that it could be studied by all soldiers. Arthur Currie insisted that his division’s knowledge of the enemy was excellent (Dancocks, 1985).
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To set the stage for this battle, we must first understand what the British were thinking at the time. The British had not ...
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The causes in why British troops were sent in can be put into an order
Air Force Special Operations The United States of America is a powerful and well known force throughout the world. It has become a superpower of nations in just about three hundred years, being one of the newest nations in existence today. Its military reaches out into several countries in the globe and holds a presence as a peacekeeper and wielder of democracy. Of the US military’s five branches, the Air Force is the ruler of the skies, keeping control of the earth’s aerospace. Without the Air Force Special Operations, the military could not complete operations as effectively or efficiently as it potentially could.
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Much confusion has arisen from misinterpretation of Clausewitz’s discussions on Schwerpunkt or “center of gravity”. Many students of military theory interpret Clausewitz’s ideas through their own historical perspectives. For example, military officers tend to confuse military objectives for centers of gravity, assuming physical objects such as ships or cities are the source of a countries power. While these objects may provide tactical advantages, true power arises from the critical strengths possessed by a country, be they political, diplomatic, military, or informational. The Argentinean military junta made similar mistakes during their invasion of the Falklands. Without fully understanding the source of British power in the region, the Argentineans attacked military objectives, while missing British centers of gravity. Because they failed to analyze the critical factors and capabilities of both the enemy and themselves, they were doomed to failure from the outset of the mission.
This statement begins to expose the fear felt by Britain of the imposing German fleet. Due to the militaristic views of Europe, many countries desired to have more power and control, by any means possible. This hunger initiated the Naval Arms Race, in which nations believed as one country increased its naval powers, they too were obliged to increase their armed forces, to maintain a balance of power. The British had dominated the seas and many far off colonies because of their naval fleet, granting them immense power. As the Germans began to propose a new and vast naval fleet, and France and Russia formed a new alliance sparking suspicion in Britain, Germany quickly became a threat to British supremacy. This created a chain reaction of stressed importance upon naval arme...