Royal Navy sends nuclear sub with cruise missiles to Falkland Islands

HMS Sceptre, a Swiftsure Class SSN attack submarine, is being sent from station off Africa to the cold waters of the South Atlantic in an effort to dissuade the Argentinians from taking military action in the tense standoff over oil rights in the seas around the disputed Falkland Islands.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3a692a157626.jpg[/atsimg]
HMS Sceptre at anchor

For an older submarine, she sure packs a punch. She's equipped with the heavy, high speed Spearfish torpedo, the Harpoon anti ship missile and (most significantly) with the Tomahawk cruise missile.

So in one stroke the RN will be able to attack Argentinian subs, warships and targets on the Argentinian mainland too.

The UK Royal Navy has deployed the nuclear-powered attack submarine, HMS Sceptre, to the Falkland Islands in an effort to enhance security levels in the region.

The Swiftsure Class submarine will join the Portsmouth ships HMS York and HMS Scott, which are already on routine patrol in the region, according to portsmouth.co.uk.

During the deployment, HMS Sceptre will monitor the conservation zone waters surrounding the Falkland islands, where drilling is under way.

The deployment was made necessary as UK firm Desire Petroleum has struck oil.

The 82.9m-long, 9.8m-wide vessel has a displacement of 4,500t.

The submarine can accommodate around 100 personnel and cruise at a speed in excess of 30kt.

Naval Technology News

Today it was reported a Royal Navy attack submarine has been sent to the Falklands to boost security amid mounting speculation oil has been discovered.
The Ministry of Defence has refused to confirm the sub's presence there, saying it does not comment on submarine operations.
HMS Sceptre, a Swiftsure-class nuclear powered submarine, is said to have been sent from southern Africa to make Argentina think twice about laying serious claims to the Islands.
It is the oldest seagoing vessel in the Royal Navy.

Daily Mail

An article ran today in the British newspaper "The Sun" states that a nuclear sub was sent by London to the Malvinas Islands last month after soaring rumors that Desire Petroleum had struck oil around them, hoping to "dampen Argentine ambitions" of sovereignty.

According to the paper the order to send the HMS Sceptre - a 5.000-tonne Swiftsure-class nuclear-powered submarine - was given by "top brass" last month after speculation that British firm Desire Petroleum had struck oil surfaced, and was expected to "boost security" in the area.

Buenos Aires Herald

Perhaps the deployment of this vessel and other Royal Navy warships might now dissuade the Argentinians from interfering militarily with the activities of Desire Petroleum ?


A neat photomontage of Swiftsure class submarines (best with volume off !)

Great Britain fired on an Argentinian ship and Argentina just declared war.

Wouldn't that be how it happens?

The Brits should just Nuke those 'Tinians and get it over and done with..

We can get higher prices for our Beef then

Just read up a little bit on the history of the Falklands. Sounds like that could be a powder keg unto itself. So a dominant country bullies a smaller country over oil...say it ain't so!

Originally posted by Misoir Great Britain fired on an Argentinian ship and Argentina just declared war. Wouldn't that be how it happens?

This is what we Brits are doing. Sending an advanced submarine to patrol our bit of the South Atlantic, to secure the future source of our oil.

Not like invading a soverign state to secure oil. No wait. Sorry, I meant hunting for weapons of mass destruction.

The only difference between the US and the UK is that we won't involve half the world in an illegal war!

Originally posted by crazyinthemiddle
Just read up a little bit on the history of the Falklands. Sounds like that could be a powder keg unto itself. So a dominant country bullies a smaller country over oil...say it ain't so!

We aren't bullying no one. These are OUR islands and it is OUR oil.

Why do some people find that hard to understand? If it was your country you'd think the same. I gaurantee it.

Generally I'm very anti-war, especially when oil is involved, but defending the falklands seems as valid a reason as there could be. The people there are British and (as far as I'm aware, never really asked them..) would like to stay that way! Even if the island was un-inhabited though, Argentina would have no greater claim to it that us. Spanish didn't quite originate in South America..

Could the the new Faulklands war get Gordan Brown another term in office as the first did for Maggy?

This can only result in a humiliating defeat of Argentina, which could only benefit republican movements in Latin American nations recently "blessed" with "democratic" leftist governments. Hopefully, the Argentines will understand their position and cool the rhetoric. By the end of the year, the US administration will have lost any ability to "assist" the leftist governments due to expending all it's energy fighting for its life. Politicians, like other pack animals, sense the weak ones in the pack. I suspect more than one Democrat will run against Obama for the nomination in 2012, so no help for the Argentines from the US.

Originally posted by fritz

The only difference between the US and the UK is that we won't involve half the world in an illegal war!

I beg your pardon, but I can guarantee that if the UK went to war with anybody, the first call would be to our POTUS saying: Now is pay back time.... We scratched your back, now scratch ours....

The UK is broke and can't even deal with Afghanistan.

How exactly do you expect them to deal with Argentina?

You think we'd need help?

If anything it would be a great excuse to get out of the ME, leaving the US to deal with the mess they dragged us into. (for the record lets clarify that its not the American people I mean here!)

I guess they could scratch our back by 'understanding' that we had some stuff to sort out.

That being said, I hope it all blows over.

Originally posted by Kram09
The UK is broke and can't even deal with Afghanistan.

How exactly do you expect them to deal with Argentina?

Wars can be quite profitable you know! And besides, money is fictional right? They'll just invent more

reply to post by fritz


Obviously that was an attack against me because I'm an American, so I'll bite.

I was always opposed to the war, I even oppose the war in Afghanistan. We shouldn't have foreign military bases, we shouldn't even have a military. It should just be the national guard. We should not have NATO, UN, WHO, WTO or any other external organization involved in our country at all.

You can attack Americans all you want, I don't mind. Just don't put me in the same category of your stereotyping.

Edit to add: I am not saying Great Britain should not defend the Falkland Islands, that's like America defending Hawaii or Guam. You have that right and no other country should be involved, just don't attack them unless they attack you, that's all I'm saying.

[edit on 3/20/10 by Misoir]

you know what i'm not buying into this...

to me its just the elites trying to shape up the two sides of the 3rd world war...

they will turn nation against nation so that there will be war all over the globe...

a bit of history if true must be lots of oil to threaten this.

www.guardian.co.uk...

[edit on 3/20/2010 by dashar]

i]reply to post by Misoir[/url]

WOW! History is made on ATS folks! The first ever public climbdown by an American. Yes I did post my response because you are an American. Pot, Kettle, Black as we Brits say.

The Falkland Islands are a British Protectorate. We fought the Argentinians and their ex US Marine sniper mercenaries in 1982 because the Islanders wished to remain British.

A lot of poor, semi-literate Argentinian conscripts were killed because an evil dictator thought he could massage politics at home by getting the populace hooked up on a soon to fail foreign policy of military intervention.

That the current US Administration now chooses to call the Islands the Malvinas, is an eye opener.

Another eye opener is that racism is alive and flourishing in the US! Why?

Because whilst America shouts long and loud about human rights, the
American people and many of their elected politicians are against the medical reforms that Obama wants to introduce across the country.

Is it not against human rights to allow another couple of million of the poorest families healthcare?

Originally posted by Kram09
The UK is broke and can't even deal with Afghanistan.

How exactly do you expect them to deal with Argentina?

Where do you live?

I wouldn't get to court up in that mis-info thats utter rubbish, that oil should pay back some debt at least, and the UK still has AAA credit ratings, which country is not in debt right now tho? you think argentina can faulk out for one but we can't where do you find your logic???

While we are on the subject of oil...

News just in, they found 7 new oil fields could be up to 350 billion barrels of black gold discoverd on the coast of dorset, the biggest on shore oil discovery since 1972 (in the UK) to add to the 60 billion barrels.

And back on to why they won't push there boats out to sea,

To be honest if the argy's are thinking about doing anything, then really, now is the time to do so, before the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers are built in a few years time, work has already begun on the construction,









Oh And!!! The Astute class currently doing sea trials

The Astute class will progressively replace the Swiftsure and Trafalgar classes from 2011.

Displacing 7,400 tonnes and measuring 97 metres from bow to propulsor, Astute is significantly larger than the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class submarines that she will replace but requires fewer crew to operate her due to the advanced technology and automated systems on board.

When she becomes operational on completion of Sea Trials she will be capable of circumnavigate the globe without surfacing and with the advance of nuclear technology she will never need refuelling.

Astute is designed to fulfil a range of key strategic and tactical roles including anti-ship and anti-submarine operations, surveillance and intelligence gathering and support for land forces.

"Astute will be a quantum leap in capability from the Trafalgar class and all involved can be justifiably proud”.






Nothing will happen we can all hope!

Originally posted by Kram09
The UK is broke and can't even deal with Afghanistan.

How exactly do you expect them to deal with Argentina?

For any British Prime Minister, this would be truly a gift from the Gods.

In one fell swoop, he can look decisive and have the perfect reason to suddenly withdraw in total from Iraq and Afghanistan on the grounds of protecting our homeland, saving a fortune in fighting two loosing wars in the Middle East in terms of British lives and money AND absolutely stuff the hated and cocky Hilary Clinton and Obama by leaving them holding the baby.

reply to post by BRITWARRIOR


Just to add, the Astute is that advanced that USN observers who have been allowed to check her out have been gobsmacked at the technology that is that boat. Until a new class of US submarine is launched, she is apparently the most advanced submarine on the planet.

So if a Swiftsure is enough to make the Argies play nice, then an Astute is going to make them have kittens.

Originally posted by RizeorDie
to me its just the elites trying to shape up the two sides of the 3rd world war...

they will turn nation against nation so that there will be war all over the globe...

What's an "elite"? Drivel. The "two sides" have been shaping up and down since 1945 and nation has been turning against nation since records began.

To subject. This is all posturing. Because it is a submarine and their movements are generally quite closely guarded we won't know if it is going to the Falklands or not. The point is that Argentina (who attacked Britain in 1982 for those with short memories or don’t know history) sometimes need reminding that all their belligerent nationalistic rhetoric needs to remain just that.

Regards