The British Prime Minister David Cameron personally took the decision to retire Britain's carrier capable Harriers and the aircraft carrier Ark Royal which they fly from.
As a result the Royal Navy will be without a fixed wing aircraft carrier for the first time since it commissioned the World's first carrier,Her Majesty's Ship (H.M.S.) Argus,during the First World War.
The Falkland Island's defence depends on three things.
The Royal Navy's carrier groups provided the conventional deterrent to an Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands.
A modern British carrier task group can retake the islands if Argentina invades them,which makes any attempt at invasion pointless.
This deterrent is the Falkland Island's primary defence.
A secondary deterrent is the "tripwire force" which garrisons the Falkland Islands.
This force is not capable of defending the islands on it's own but does send the message to Argentina that if they want to invade the Falkland Islands they will have to fight for them.
The ability to reinforce the Falklands garrison by air if there is sufficient advance warning of an attack provides a tertiary deterrent to invasion.
This depends on the runway at Mount Pleasant remaining available.
Unfortunately the runway at Mount Pleasant will not be available in future.
Just after the Harriers are withdrawn from service.
This will leave the small "tripwire force" on the Falklands as the island's only defence.
Except at weekends.
