Air University Review, March-April 1984
WAR is the result when the normal order and diplomacy among nations fail. Once the shooting begins, war fighting and the final outcome depend on a myriad of variables: national will and resolve, leadership, strategy, training, technology, heroism, time, even the weather--all become elements that work to determine victory or defeat. War is one of the grandest and most terrible of human endeavors, and modern warfare is tremendously complex. Today's military professional must be committed to learning as much as possible about the use of military force. To do otherwise is to countenance insularism and incompetence, which may result in tragedy.
In April 1982, Argentina, frustrated by years of negotiations over the status of the Falkland/Malvinas and South Georgia islands, sent her military forces to resolve the impasse. The resulting conflict surprised just about everyone, including the antagonists. Neither side was prepared for the scope and intensity of the conflict.
That is nothing new. Wars have a way of surprising their participants. All too often, what begins as a simple attempt to redress a perceived grievance ends up a tragedy that may involve many nations in a danse macabre. Sometimes such sequences alter the course of history. The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Bosnian nationalist in June 1914, a relatively limited act of political violence, sparked a conflagration that led to the deaths of millions, the fall of monarchs, the rise of dictators, and, eventually, another cataclysmic war. Fortunately, the war in the South Atlantic directly involved the Argentines and the British only, though the potential for expansion was present.
Men, weapons, and the competence with which they are employed are all part of the brew of war. Yet in this age of sophisticated weaponry, it is easy to forget the human dimension. The quality of the individuals bearing arms is vital to the success or failure of any martial enterprise. Both Argentine and British airmen, sailors, and soldiers fought skillfully and bravely. The heroism of the Argentine aircrews and the bravery of the British who stood by their posts to defend the fleet from air attacks have been widely noted.
In this era of complex modern weapon systems, a nation's military could become a technocratic bureaucracy that can develop intricate and sophisticated military machines but has only limited knowledge of what is involved in using the equipment in battle. Air forces, in particular, need to be acutely aware of the temptation to substitute "switchology" for sound tactics. In the end, the British retook the islands because their troops and sailors outfought the Argentines. The British used their weaponry more effectively than the Argentines, who had weapons of comparable or better quality.
In the larger context, strategists determine the employment of military men and machines. For the Argentine Air Force (FAA), the strategy was one of attrition: destroy the British fleet or sink as many ships as possible, in hopes that London would call off the war and offer a satisfying deal on the disposition of the South Atlantic islands. At the tactical level, this strategy required aircrews to fly into a very sophisticated air defense system employed by well-trained men. The British protected their fleet with a defense in depth: three basic layers of weaponry formed a gauntlet to be run by Argentine pilots. At the outer edge of the gauntlet, the British deployed their BAe-Harriers armed with all-aspect AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles. The Harriers, unable to keep up with the faster Mirages or even the older A-4 Skyhawks, fired at the Argentines as they flashed by en route to the fleet. If the Argentine airmen got past the Harriers, they faced surface-to-air missiles from the ships. Finally, British antiaircraft guns and Royal Marines and British Army troops firing Blowpipe hand-held SAMs waited at the end of the gauntlet. Argentine heroism could not overcome the disadvantage of a situation that had aircrews playing to the British strengths in technology and training. While brave Argentine pilots won the respect of their enemies, they also provided additional evidence that in this age of high-tech weaponry the defense has an advantage unless an innovative and imaginative offense can be devised.
Warriors, weapons, and strategy are among the basic elements of war that military professionals must master. Many important lessons about these elements can only come from a career-long study of war and its history. Through intense study in time of peace, military professionals prepare themselves for war.
Editor's note:
We appreciate the help of Comodoró José C. D'Odorico, Argentine Air Force (retired), and Wing Commander Phillip Wilkinson, Royal Air Force, in obtaining photographs for this essay.
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.
Air & Space Power Home Page | Feedback? Email the Editor