In a further gesture of British military consolidation in the South Atlantic, Section 2 of the Royal Gurkha Fusiliers carried out a series of advanced military exercises in the Malvina Islands under the name of Cape Kukri III . The maneuvers included blank and live firing, night and day combat drills, joint operations with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the tactical deployment of drones , marking a new phase in the training of British forces in occupied territory.
These operations are part of a policy maintained by the United Kingdom since 1982, with the aim of maintaining a robust military presence in the archipelago. Mount Pleasant Air Base is the nerve center of these activities, hosting strategic assets such as Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, Airbus 400 Atlas aircraft, air defense missile systems, and elite infantry personnel on a rotating basis.
A dual-purpose training scenario
The week-long exercise "Cabo Kukri III" was not limited to conventional exercises. It included complex tasks such as occupying positions in hard-to-reach areas, particularly in sectors like Mount Harriet, and integrating with aerial platforms for coordinated assistance and defense drills, in addition to the deployment of drones.
These exercises were accompanied by an unprecedented aerial refueling exercise: the launch of more than 21 tons of supplies from an A400M Atlas aircraft near Goose Meadow, considered the largest logistical deployment of its kind in recent British history in the Malvinas. This maneuver, far from responding to humanitarian needs, as British spokespersons suggest, reinforces an occupation policy with a high capacity for tactical projection in remote locations.
Military consolidation in usurped territory
The actions of the Gurkha forces and the interoperability practices between ground, air, and naval units—such as the recent training aboard the patrol vessel HMS Forth—respond to a comprehensive British strategy to ensure operational dominance over an occupied geopolitical enclave.
These types of exercises, designed to operate under adverse weather conditions and complex topography, only reaffirm London's commitment to remaining in the archipelago. HMS Forth, which completed a rigorous FOST (Flag Officer Sea Training) assessment, remains one of the main surveillance platforms in the region, ensuring a permanent naval presence in line with Britain's deterrent capabilities.
Argentina's diplomatic silence and the geopolitical implications
Despite the Argentine Republic's repeated historical denunciations to the United Nations regarding the militarization of the Malvina Islands, no recent official statements have been made regarding these exercises under the current administration of President Javier Milei. This omission contrasts with the active stances of previous governments that appealed to the principle of demilitarization of the South Atlantic, enshrined in UN resolutions.
Contrary to Argentine diplomatic tradition, Milei recently introduced an unprecedented—and, in many quarters, controversial—approach by suggesting that the inhabitants of the islands could "vote with their feet" and choose to become Argentine. During the official ceremony for Malvinas War Veterans and Fallen Soldiers Day, the president expressed his hope that "the Malvinas people will one day decide to vote for us with their feet," a statement that was interpreted as an implicit recognition of the Kelpers' right to self-determination.
This declaration represents a conceptual shift from the approach based on territorial integrity, a cornerstone of Argentina's claim, supported by UN resolutions rejecting self-determination for populations settled under colonial occupation. Although Milei reiterated his "unwavering claim" to sovereignty, he avoided condemning the British occupation or demanding its reversal, prioritizing a rationale of economic attraction over legal claims.
The speech drew criticism from both diplomatic and civil society circles, arguing that it undermines Argentina's position in international forums and could strengthen the British argument. Furthermore, the use of the term "Malvinas" to refer to the Kelpers was seen as a symbolic concession to the United Kingdom's narrative. From a strategic perspective, this apparent concession could be used by London as a tool to legitimize its control over the archipelago.
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