U.K. Issues Antarctic Terrorism Alert - IT'S FUCKING HAPPENING

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/uk-issues-antarctic-terrorism-alert

The U.K.’s Foreign Office has issued a terrorism-related travel advisory for its Antarctic territory.

“Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in the British Antarctic Territory, attacks can’t be ruled out,” says the advisory. “There’s a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against U.K. interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria.”

Increasingly, terrorists look for targets that aren’t well-protected where westerners can be found, says the government. These include places like bars, restaurants, shops, places of worship, tourist sites and transport networks. Significant dates, anniversaries, public holidays, religious festivals and political events have been targeted.

British Antarctic Territory is a 660,000 square mile part of Antarctica with three research stations and an average population of around 250 people. The Royal Navy maintains an ice patrol vessel in the area during the austral summer.

There is no history of terror attacks in the area. Colonel Richard Kemp, who led the British Army into Afghanistan in 2003, told The Sun: "MI5's then-director-general once said there was a terror threat almost everywhere except Antarctica. Now they've put Antarctica on the list.

“We expect guidance based on intelligence, not a pointless exercise in back-covering – unless I've missed the Islamic State Polar Brigade.''

The British Antarctic Survey welcomes a small number of visits to its stations from IAATO–affiliated companies during the austral summer. Small groups are given a guided tour of the facilities, where they have the opportunity to learn about the world-class science undertaken there and the logistics that support it.

Earlier this month, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) announced its tourism figures for the 2016-2017 noting that most Antarctic visitors originate from the U.S., but China has now moved up to second place ahead of Australia.

The number of visitors travelling to Antarctica with IAATO members was 44,367, an increase of 15 percent compared to the previous season. Overall, visitation levels, particularly in the cruise sector, have been increasing steadily since 2011-2012. Next season, 2017-2018, 46,385 visitors are expected.

American visitors remained the most numerous, increasing by seven percent in 2016-2017 and accounting for 33 percent of the total number. The number of Chinese visitors increased by 25 percent compared to the previous year, moving them up to second place. Australian, German and British visitors were the next most abundant nationalities, increasing by five percent, 45 percent and 19 percent respectively.

Most travellers depart from South America to visit the Antarctic Peninsula. The majority of these Peninsula visitors traveled the traditional route from Chile or Argentina on vessels that carry fewer than 500 passengers.

The Territory includes all the lands and islands in a wedge extending from the South Pole to 60° S latitude between longitudes 20° W and 80° W.

 

[CWCissey]

SAS planned an outright suicide mission to take out the Argentine Airforce, which basically involved dropping around 250 SAS troops onto Argentine airbases to wreck everything. There was no extraction plan.

Man, I wish that had happened. Some Inglourious Basterds shenanigans would have been amazing!

 

[LegoTugboat]

There was also the one where the BBC televised details of the British's next attack plan, and the Argentinians saw the broadcast.

The British proceeded to attack according to plan, because they knew that the Argentinians knew about the plan and knew that the Argentinians knew that the British wouldn't attack using that plan now that the Argentinians knew about it.

 

[Chemical snorfare]

Man, I wish that had happened. Some Inglourious Basterds shenanigans would have been amazing!

There was "H" Jones, an officer of a rank I cant remember who single handly bayonet charged a machine gun position, and was turned into a human teabag.

All Boy's Own and Commando comic stuff , but the reason he did it single handedly was his troops were the kind of cowards who knew if they just kept their heads down for 10 minutes, a Harrier would be along to sort the the problem without any (British at least) casualties.

Tragic really.

 

[AN/ALR56]

I think their military is in a worse position than '82.

If I remember rightly, they've been paying the military wages whilst their boats rust.

Err, their Sheffield class warship sunk in the fucking harbor, their subs get less than 10 hrs yearly of underwater time, their mirages 3 were retired, and only around 10 of their a-4s and around 3-5 of their super etendard attack jets are in flying conditions.

The Falklands have a superior army in numbers and in quality now which I find it hilarious.

 

[Ponderous Pillock]

There was "H" Jones, an officer of a rank I cant remember who single handly bayonet charged a machine gun position, and was turned into a human teabag.

All Boy's Own and Commando comic stuff , but the reason he did it single handedly was his troops were the kind of cowards who knew if they just kept their heads down for 10 minutes, a Harrier would be along to sort the the problem without any (British at least) casualties.

Tragic really.

Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross during the Battle of Goose Green. He was noted for carrying on the glorious (some would say stupid) tradition of British officers leading from the front.

Because if you won't charge the enemy with a stick and a pistol with only six rounds, how can you order your men to do the same?

One small matter of course is that he was kind of, sort of in charge of the entire fucking 2nd Battalion of the Paras and was bawling out mortar co-ordinates to take out the seriously well prepared defences the Argies had actually set up. ( A network of 11 interconnecting trenches with covering fields of fire and included 2 35mm anti-air guns which is why the Harriers weren't actually an option)

Of course, as soon as Jones was killed and Major Keeble took over, the british actually made progress because Keeble basically handed his companies near total autonomy to complete their objectives, rather than Jones' Sandhurst esque "move exactly 35 foot to the left" style.

The main thing to take away from Goose Green though is nobody knows who actually set the school house on fire it was either Paras with M79s happily THUNKing away, or some Argie junior officer who used it for target practice for his 35mm gun.

Err, their Sheffield class warship sunk in the fucking harbor, their subs get less than 10 hrs yearly of underwater time, their mirages 3 were retired, and only around 10 of their a-4s and around 3-5 of their super etendard attack jets are in flying conditions.

The Falklands have a superior army in numbers and in quality now which I find it hilarious.

Argentine Navy: Do literally nothing and still fucking sink.

 

[Sable]

Err, their Sheffield class warship sunk in the fucking harbor, their subs get less than 10 hrs yearly of underwater time, their mirages 3 were retired, and only around 10 of their a-4s and around 3-5 of their super etendard attack jets are in flying conditions.

The Falklands have a superior army in numbers and in quality now which I find it hilarious.

I know, I was talking about Argentina, not South Georgia or the Falklands.

It also doesn't help that their economy's not doing too well - it's not Venezuela bad, but they're basically afflicted with a pretty high inflation rate. I doubt they'll be able to do any effective sabre rattling any time soon, especially not over the Antarctic.

 

[Florence]

Some of my favourite stories from the Falklands War:

Type 42 Destroyer being able to chart Argentine positions so accurately (thanks to the SAS/SRS) that, rather than simply wipe out the positions they shelled each compass point with a single shell to point out that, yes, yes we can turn you into dog food at any point I fancy it.

Somehow got out that the Gurkahs were out and out cannibals, and ate the flesh of their downed enemies (and sometimes not so downed enemies) to the point even some Brit shouting out gibberish which sounded a bit like a Gurkha causing swathes of troops to surrender.

SAS planned an outright suicide mission to take out the Argentine Airforce, which basically involved dropping around 250 SAS troops onto Argentine airbases to wreck everything. There was no extraction plan.

And of course, the complete batshit insanity of the UK equipping its Vulcan Nuclear Bombers with cluster bombs, sending them 8,000 miles just to put holes in the Port Stanley Airport runway to stop Argentines landing troops by air "just in case."

Not to mention the 23 marines on South Georgia forcing a helicopter and a corvette to retreat when the island was invaded.

 

[AnOminous]

Somehow got out that the Gurkahs were out and out cannibals, and ate the flesh of their downed enemies (and sometimes not so downed enemies) to the point even some Brit shouting out gibberish which sounded a bit like a Gurkha causing swathes of troops to surrender.

Gurkhas are pretty badass tbh.

 

[Splendid]

Some of my favourite stories from the Falklands War:

Type 42 Destroyer being able to chart Argentine positions so accurately (thanks to the SAS/SRS) that, rather than simply wipe out the positions they shelled each compass point with a single shell to point out that, yes, yes we can turn you into dog food at any point I fancy it.

Somehow got out that the Gurkahs were out and out cannibals, and ate the flesh of their downed enemies (and sometimes not so downed enemies) to the point even some Brit shouting out gibberish which sounded a bit like a Gurkha causing swathes of troops to surrender.

SAS planned an outright suicide mission to take out the Argentine Airforce, which basically involved dropping around 250 SAS troops onto Argentine airbases to wreck everything. There was no extraction plan.

And of course, the complete batshit insanity of the UK equipping its Vulcan Nuclear Bombers with cluster bombs, sending them 8,000 miles just to put holes in the Port Stanley Airport runway to stop Argentines landing troops by air "just in case."

My favorite part about the Falklands is that the US (and still is) in a defensive pact with almost all of South America, including Argentina at the time. NATO only covers countries' homelands, not random territorial possessions, so the US wasn't required to come to the UK's aid, but it was required to come to Argentina's aid against the British. This all would have theoretically caused a chain reaction where the US would have to defend itself against a European country in Europe, which would allow the UK to force NATO to attack its biggest military power, essentially causing a WWI situation where a huge war starts just because of a few idiots.

Thankfully, America went "lol, no," and supposedly even discreetly offered to sail an aircraft carrier into the conflict if it dragged on or heated up.

 

[cuddle striker]

I wanna go see that blood waterfall.