Britain to boost Falklands defences

Britain is to "modernise" the defences of the Falkland Islands, with plans to be set out to Parliament later.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told the BBC "any future and possible threats" to the islands had to be taken into account.

The long-running dispute over the British overseas territory has has been heightened in recent years.

Mr Fallon said the government was committed to protecting the islanders' "right to remain British".

The defence secretary is expected to update MPs on a review ordered by his predecessor, Philip Hammond.

'Properly defended'

It comes amid reports in the Sun newspaper that Russia is planning to lease 12 long-range bombers to the government in Buenos Aires, raising fears they could be used to support a renewed attack.

Argentina lays claim to the islands, which it calls the Malvinas, but Mr Fallon said the claim had "no basis in international law" and should be withdrawn.

Asked about the reports of an arms deal with Russia, Mr Fallon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme they had "not been confirmed".

Falklands Islands dispute

• The Falkland Islands are an isolated and sparsely populated British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean
• They remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina, who waged a brief but bitter war over the territory in 1982
• Argentine forces landed on the Falklands on 2 April 1982 to stake a territorial claim, but by 14 June they had been ejected by a British military task force
• The fighting cost the lives of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen
• Argentina says it has a right to the islands, which it calls the Malvinas, because it inherited them from the Spanish crown in the early 1800s
• It has also based its claim on the islands' proximity to the South American mainland
• Britain rests its case on its long-term administration of the Falklands and on the principle of self-determination for the islanders, who are almost all of British descent.

But he said the threat from Argentina remained, adding: "We have to respond to it, and I am responding to it this afternoon."

The defence secretary said he would not be setting out the "full details" of the UK's plan, for security reasons.

But he added: "We do need to modernise our defences there, to ensure that we have sufficient troops there and that the islands are properly defended in terms of air defence and maritime defence."

He said the government's job was to "protect the islands and particularly the right of the islanders to remain British".

In 2013, Falkland Islanders took part in a referendum, voting by 1,513 to three to remain a British overseas territory.

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