A guerra antissubmarino na guerra das Malvinas (1982): uma análise comparativa entre Argentina e Reino Unido

Abstract

The Falklands War, fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom, highlighted the central role of naval power in the conduct of the conflict. In this context, anti-submarine warfare emerged as one of the main instruments of naval warfare in the South Atlantic Maritime Theater of Operations. This study aims to compare the anti-submarine efforts of the Argentine and British Navies during the conflict, in light of the doctrine of the Brazilian Navy. To that end, the research adopts a comparative method and structures the analysis around four parameters: training, means and their sensors and weapons, doctrine, and operational postures in anti-submarine warfare. The study shows that both navies recognized the importance of anti-submarine warfare and employed their assets in coordinated operations. However, the Royal Navy demonstrated clear superiority in terms of personnel qualification, consolidated doctrine, and technological availability. The Argentine Navy, in turn, displayed adaptability and offensive initiative, despite operational limitations. The research concludes that the asymmetry between the forces significantly influenced the outcomes but did not prevent Argentina from posing relevant challenges to the British task force. This work contributes to the understanding of anti-submarine operations in the conflict and offers analytical parameters applicable to similar studies.