The British Ministry of Defence has spent £30 million, or about US$39 million, to improve Air Command and Control in the Malvinas and other regions. The upgrade aims to achieve full operational capability within a year.
The contract was signed with IBM . The investment includes the integration and initial support of the system known as "Guardian." This defensive scheme is key to British policy in the region.
The United Kingdom has maintained a military base in the Malvinas since 1982. They consider the military presence as a "defensive" and deterrent measure. For Argentina, this represents an illegal occupation of sovereign territory.
The upgrade aims to improve coordination and response times. The Guardian system will reinforce surveillance of airspace in the South Atlantic. The British presence in the region continues to generate diplomatic tensions.
“How does the Royal Air Force (RAF) protect the skies that stretch 13,000 kilometres away from the UK? With Guardian, the latest generation of the UK’s airborne command and control (C2) system. This cutting-edge technology allows the RAF to map out a complete picture of the airspace, enabling them to rapidly deploy fighter jets to identify, intercept and escort suspicious or potentially threatening aircraft. Developed by a global coalition of Australian, Norwegian, Swedish and UK companies, Guardian epitomises international collaboration at its finest, bringing together diverse expertise to deliver a seamless solution for the RAF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence (MOD),” describes MCA , the UK’s consulting association
The announcement comes in the context of a diplomatic rapprochement between the government of Javier Milei and that of the United Kingdom, materialized through an agreement signed by Foreign Minister Diana Mondino in New York on September 24 with her British counterpart David Lammy .
There, Mondino agreed to resume weekly flights to the Malvinas from Brazil, scientific cooperation in fisheries and to complete the identification process of unnamed Argentine soldiers in the Darwin military cemetery. These measures were totally favourable to the British colonial occupation of the Malvinas Islands, but disadvantageous to the Argentine Republic, the legitimate owner of the Malvinas archipelago.
In parallel, Argentina is seeking to become a "global partner" of NATO. Defense Minister Luis Petri presented the request in Brussels. This intention reinforces the defense and security policy in the South Atlantic.
The United Kingdom is closely following Argentina's movements. The British presence in the Malvinas remains firm and robust. Investments in defence reinforce its military strategy in the region.
