Prince William's Expected Military Deployment To The Falklands Reignites Tensions Between Argentina And The U.K.

Britain's Prince William's expected military deployment to the Falklands has reignited tensions between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

View Photos [29]
View Profile
View All News

Argentina's foreign minister Jorge Taina thinks the presence of the prince - who is likely to spend three months at a helicopter base in the Falklands as part of his training as a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force - could spark fierce public debate about the sovereignty of the islands.

He said: "The circumstance only serves to once again highlight Britain's ongoing military presence in land and sea areas that are part of the Argentine Republic's national territories."

The Falkland Islands posting - which is particularly unpopular within the armed forces because of its distance from the U.K. and poor weather - will see William based at the British military garrison on Mount Pleasant, an hours drive from the country's capital Stanley.

The Ministry of Defense says troops are stationed on the islands "to deter military aggression against the South Atlantic overseas territories."

The final decision to deploy the 26-year-old prince will be made in two years, when he has completed his current RAF training course. He is likely to serve in the Falklands or Cyprus, which also has a helicopter base.