The US & UK have special relationship, in that context the Monroe Doctrine & the US obligations within the OAS went out the window.
Indeed, you don't need to be able to out swim the shark... you just have to not be the slowest swimmer in the group...
The US wouldn't allow another Cuba in L. America with claims in Antarctica.
You make it sound like they get a choice...
Chile & Grenada already tried & failed.
Ahhh, come on... lets not be shy... the number of potential leaders that were pro people and anti rich mans agenda and not so friendly to the US that America has had murdered in central and south america you can't count on two hands, but do you think the people of the region don't notice?
It is only a brutal military dictatorship if they don't cooperate with the US... otherwise they are fine, they can do what they like...
If not, the British, Israeli & US pilots based in Chile would help them in their fighters.
Do you really think Chile would openly allow its aircraft to fight a British war against Argentina?
The MiG-23s didn't have the range to fly from USSR to Argentina via Cuba or Angola (even with the IFR, they could be intercepted & shot down) & a naval blockade would stop their delivery- that btw would take a long time, even under the best of conditions.
I am not suggesting they send them to help the Argentinians after the UK taskforce arrive... I am suggesting that the Argentines plan their attack better and get prepared before hand by buying MiG-23s and training up to use them and then invading the Malvinas.
The reality is that I suspect the Argentinians probably didn't expect a woman in charge of the UK would send a military force to take the islands back... but they should have expected it because all western politicians love that sort of thing... their greatest hour and all that hogwash...
Before the war, the UK was negotiating handing the islands to Argentina & leasing them back for 99 years:
Yeah right... hoping it would only take 99 years to strip them of any useful resources and then hand them back...
Very amusing considering all the bullshit about the islands being British and the people on their being British... were they suddenly going to stop being British in 99 years?
The MiG-23s didn't have the range to fly from USSR to Argentina via Cuba or Angola (even with the IFR, they could be intercepted & shot down) & a naval blockade would stop their delivery- that btw would take a long time, even under the best of conditions.
Yeah.... not really impressed with a British naval blockade considering the damage some Exocets managed to cause... imagine the damage some decent anti ship missiles could have caused... besides I am suggesting better preparation rather than last minute reaction.
A case of "tyranny of geography"! If the junta waited & got those fighters 1st before invading, their chances would've been better, esp. having Brazil on its side
That same tyranny effected the British... in fact even more so... with an SSN the Argentinians could not really compete at sea, but they had every chance of competing in the air... the only thing that limited them was their trust in the US... basically the relationship was... countries of central and south america... accept crap second rate aircraft like Mirage IIIs and Skyhawks and F-5s, but in return we will back you up from outside aggression... but it was really the US support for the UK that made them realise how hollow that support really was.
The USSR & Cuba. Both were concerned about their interventions in Afghanistan, Nicaragua & Angola; they didn't need to open another front in the US backyard.
Apart from the fact that it was in a place with America in its name it really was none of Americas business, and they really didn't actually lift a finger to actually help either side.
From a Soviet perspective sales of MiG-23s to Argentina would have been useful... and thwarting the British would have been the icing on the cake...