What if the falklands were American territory during the argentine invasion?

We would need to know how the United States got the Falklands in the first place.
Rather than the Falklands becoming a formal American territory, what if the Americans set up a military base there during World War Two as part of the Destroyers for Bases Deal and retain a presence after the war ends?
 
Though as to what actually happens the Americans don't bother with the UN and take the islands back by force. They send down at least one super carrier and enough amphibious shipping to land a whole Marine Amphibious Brigade plus all the auxiliaries and depot ships needed to back them up. And like the British in the OTL Falklands War use Ascension Island as a staging post.

In the aftermath President Reagan has much more support for his 600-Ship Navy project.
 
They're about as likely to attack an American Falklands as Castro's Cuba was to attack Guantanamo.
Depends, what time are we talking about Castro making moves?

Because during the Missile Crisis, there was plans for the Bay to eat some tac nukes...
 
Park the USS Nimitz, Enterprise, JFK and Coral Sea off the Argentine coast. Send fully bombed up B-52G's (with F-4 and F-14 escorts and EA-6B support) on 24hr patrols on the edge of Argentine airspace. Send a trio of Iwo Jima and Tarawa class amphibious carriers with a compliment of Marines, helos, Harriers and landing craft off the Falklands coast. Move these pieces into position before any shooting starts and await the response from Buenos Aries.
 

CalBear

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Depends, what time are we talking about Castro making moves?

Because during the Missile Crisis, there was plans for the Bay to eat some tac nukes...
Lot easier to consider taking on the U.S. when you had the USSR providing the nuclear weapons.

You will notice, however, despite that support, the best Castro has been able to do in the last 50+ years is not cash the rent check the U.S. sends every year (a massive $4,085.00 annually in AMERICAN money). So the Cuban government is sitting on a potential windfall of $232,845.00.
 
Lot easier to consider taking on the U.S. when you had the USSR providing the nuclear weapons.
True, but at the same time, I'm pretty sure the Soviets were a bit worried Cuba may act on their own, which could force them.

You will notice, however, despite that support, the best Castro has been able to do in the last 50+ years is not cash the rent check the U.S. sends every year (a massive $4,085.00 annually in AMERICAN money). So the Cuban government is sitting on a potential windfall of $232,845.00.
Really? Why would he pass up free cash?
 
An invasion of US sovereign territory would engender a response even if Carter had won the 1980 election. Figure the Atlantic Fleet would deploy three or four carrier groups, there were 14 total in the US Navy at the time. I would assume the I Marine Expeditionary Force would have shipped out.The logistics of sending the airborne division may have precluded that option. Unlike the British the US could have attacked the Argentine mainland.
 
Only way I see it happening is if Argentina becomes a Soviet aligned communist/marxist dictatorship with a Gaddafi esque leader willing to do nigh suicidally stupid shit in order to score "points" against America and to boost his popular support. The Soviets would not openly support it but would sell them arms and use the conflict as a way of analysing how a Warsaw Pact/Soviet style military would fare against the US military.
 
Really? Why would he pass up free cash?
Cashing the check recognizes the US and its right to be there. If the money was more significant, he might bend, but as it is, $4,000 a year is basically a rounding error, even for the Cuban government. The propaganda value is easily worth more to the regime than that.
 
The US Response would be organized like this:

The commander would be a four-star Coast Guard admiral.

He would have a four-star subordinate from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marines.

He would have a three-star Chief of Staff from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, and the Coast Guard.

There would be a four-star Air Force general commanding the ground forces, US Army and US Marines.

There would be a four-star Army General commanding the naval forces, US Navy and US Coast Guard.

There would be a four-star Marine General commanding the air forces, US Air Force and US Marine Air.

There would be a Navy Vice Admiral commanding the special forces; a Special Forces Group of the US Army, a Marine Recon unit, a Naval Sea-Air-Land (SEALS) Team, and an Air Force Air Commando.

There would be the U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps, commanding the 82nd Airborne Division and support units, commanded by a Lieutenant-General, US Army.

There would be the US II Marine Expeditionary Force, commanding the 2nd Marine Division and associated air assets, commanded by a Lieutenant-General, US Marines.

There would be two Naval Task Forces, each built around a carrier, each commanded by a US Navy Vice Admiral.

There would be an Amphibious Task Force, containing Naval and Coast Guard Assets, commanded by a US Navy Vice Admiral with a US Coast Guard Vice Admiral as deputy.

Once Congress had voted for all the requisite promotions, and once the Department of Defense had chosen a catchy code name for the operation, and once the media had assembled their coverage, with every unit having an embedded media team, the operation would begin.

By then, the Argentines would have resettled the former population, installed Argentine settlers, and granted the US medial free access to the probable landing sites with round-the-clock data uplinks for full coverage.

:mad:
 

CalBear

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The US Response would be organized like this:

The commander would be a four-star Coast Guard admiral.

He would have a four-star subordinate from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marines.

He would have a three-star Chief of Staff from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, and the Coast Guard.

There would be a four-star Air Force general commanding the ground forces, US Army and US Marines.

There would be a four-star Army General commanding the naval forces, US Navy and US Coast Guard.

There would be a four-star Marine General commanding the air forces, US Air Force and US Marine Air.

There would be a Navy Vice Admiral commanding the special forces; a Special Forces Group of the US Army, a Marine Recon unit, a Naval Sea-Air-Land (SEALS) Team, and an Air Force Air Commando.

There would be the U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps, commanding the 82nd Airborne Division and support units, commanded by a Lieutenant-General, US Army.

There would be the US II Marine Expeditionary Force, commanding the 2nd Marine Division and associated air assets, commanded by a Lieutenant-General, US Marines.

There would be two Naval Task Forces, each built around a carrier, each commanded by a US Navy Vice Admiral.

There would be an Amphibious Task Force, containing Naval and Coast Guard Assets, commanded by a US Navy Vice Admiral with a US Coast Guard Vice Admiral as deputy.

Once Congress had voted for all the requisite promotions, and once the Department of Defense had chosen a catchy code name for the operation, and once the media had assembled their coverage, with every unit having an embedded media team, the operation would begin.

By then, the Argentines would have resettled the former population, installed Argentine settlers, and granted the US medial free access to the probable landing sites with round-the-clock data uplinks for full coverage.

:mad:
All of which, except for Congress, would take around 72 hours.
 

Ming777

Monthly Donor
Wait, at this point, might the Americans decide that USS Iowa and/or USS New Jersey needs some live fire practice, and assigns them to cover the Marine Expeditionary Forces?
 
All of which, except for Congress, would take around 72 hours.
Only took Roosevelt an hour in Congress and one speech to get them to vote for war to retaliate against an attack on sovereign US territory (and occupation of several US territories) the previous day. This isn't like any of America's other Cold War escapades. US territory was invaded and occupied. It's hard for the US public not to rally on that call, no matter how remote the territory is.
 

Minty_Fresh

Banned
Seeing as Argentina is likely a leftist nation in this scenario, there is probably going to be some attached terms to the peace deal that go well beyond status quo antebellum. Reparations, permanent revocation of claims, formal apology and acceptance of war guilt, the works.
 

Minty_Fresh

Banned
not exactly... Grenada had already been under a Soviet allied government without the US planning to invade them; Grenada wasn't a real threat to the US status quo. What changed was when the coup happened and the place was mostly a chaotic mess with no one really in charge... then the US took action, mainly because it was a golden opportunity to poke the USSR in the eye...
I had always thought that the students held hostage combined with the instability was the real reason.
 
We would need to know how the United States got the Falklands in the first place.

1945 - Transfer of the Islands to the US in lieu of a portion of the Lend/Lease payments.
Come 1982, assuming a leftist/Communist Argentina, the Soviets wouldn't back an Argentine invasion attempt, but during the 60's instead, or even as well as Cuba - that might be another matter. Either way, Bambi Vs Godzilla for sure.
 
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