In 1982, the territorial dispute led to a hot confrontation.
As part of a new cycle of exercises aimed at strengthening its capabilities in the South Atlantic, the British Army conducted an assessment of the Sky Sabre air defense system deployed in the Falkland Islands. The maneuvers, dubbed Exercise KOP SHIELD, were developed by the 7th Air Defence Group with technical support from the Swedish company Saab and its subsidiary BlueBear Systems, in an operational environment that sought to replicate real threat scenarios.
Over two intensive days, British operators conducted a series of tests and simulations using Sky Sabre, a system that includes Saab's Giraffe AMB radar, Rafael's MIC4AD command center, and a launch system for CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) developed by MBDA. During five simulated missions, BlueBear's training drones acted as aerial targets, allowing the units deployed on the disputed archipelago to test their capabilities.
This was stated by Argentine President Javier Milei during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Argentine president said he wanted to raise several "sensitive and extremely important issues."
"I want to reaffirm our legitimate claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas (Falkland Islands) and the surrounding maritime areas, which continue to be illegally occupied," Milei stated.
Argentina considers the Falkland Islands to be "occupied" by Britain and seeks negotiations for their "return."
Argentina claims the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) based on historical and geographical arguments.
The country believes that the archipelago, located just 500 kilometers from its coast, should be part of its sovereign territory, as it was seized by Britain in the early 19th century. The Argentine government asserts that the islands' population was displaced by the British and that the colonization was illegal, violating Argentina's rights to territory that historically belonged to Spanish colonies in South America.
Furthermore, the archipelago has strategic importance for controlling maritime routes and fish resources in the South Atlantic.
It is worth noting that the Argentine government expressed its readiness to resume negotiations with Britain over the Falkland Islands back in January 2024. However, this did not lead to any results.
