The Falklands Islands War of 1982 This paper wil

The various elements of national power are useful in analyzing the outcome of a military conflict, since they explain why a certain outcome occurred. However, certain elements are more important than others in explaining certain conflicts. For instance, analysis of an "all-out" war will largely hinge on the natural resources available to each combatant. A country with the capability of producing large quantities of food has an advantage over an opponent without such capability, since the food-poor nation will have to base its strategy upon this weakness. Similarly, industrial capacity and population size are vitally important in a total war, since these elements dictate the size of a country's armed forces and its ability to equip and supply its forces.

These elements, however, are not as important in a small, limited war. For instance, neither Britain nor Argentina wanted to expand the scope of the Falklands War beyond the islands themselves. Neither country carried out military strikes against the other's homeland and, with a limited exception, both countries limited t

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the ground troops landed in the amphibious assault. Technologically, however, this airpower fell short of might otherwise be expected of a Western power. The British retired the last of their large aircraft carriers in the late 1970s. This meant that they were forced to rely upon relatively small carriers intended for the antisubmarine role. The only fixed-wing aircraft which could operate from these carriers were Sea Harriers, which had vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. These aircraft could not reach supersonic speeds and could carry a limited amount of ordnance. In addition, with only two such carriers available, the number of Harriers which could be operated was limited to 28. The RAF eventually was able to send another 14 Harriers once the airfield at Port Stanley was recaptured (Cordesman and Wagner, 1990, p. 261). The Argentines, on the other hand, could field in excess of 120 jet fighter-bombers, of which 40 French- and Israeli-built Mirages were capable of supersonic speeds. In air combat, the Harriers would be hard-pressed to fight the Mirages. As events would unfold, however, the Argentine pilots were forced to operate at the limit of their aircraft's ranges and to avoid air-to-air combat. The bulk
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Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)