Meet the Falkland Islands Defense Force

Yea, I didn’t even know they existed either until recently.

It may be hard to believe, but the Falkland Islands have actually maintained a small fighting force of its own since 1847. Though it would not be until 1892 when the FIDF was formally organized, as previously the task of defending the islands fell upon local militias.

Role During World Wars and Falklands War

The force was active during both World Wars and even had volunteers who fought alongside British forces in Europe. But during the Falklands war in 1982, the FIDF saw no real combat. This was due to the fact many of its members lived in relatively remote areas of the territory and most of them didn’t receive orders to mobilize well after the Argentine invasion was underway. The following day, the force was ordered to stand down and many of its members were kept under house arrest at Fox Bay until the Argentine surrender. However, some members were able to escape and ended up spying on the Argentine forces, while others would act as scouts for the British.

The Re-establishment and Current State

In 1983, the Defence Force was re-established and is still in operation today. Despite being a very small force (just around 100+ members), the FIDF is surprisingly well-armed and occasionally trains alongside British forces already stationed in the colony, which actually outnumbers them by a good margin.

Importance and Funding

Now I know that some of you may be asking just why the Falklands need a defense force, since there is already a sizable British garrison. Well, it’s because the FIDF is made up entirely of locals who know the island better than anyone. It may also surprise you to know that it’s actually the local government that funds the FIDF, as opposed to the government based in London. And like stated before, they are surprisingly well-armed.

~NC