Projeção de poder no Atlântico Sul: uma análise comparativa do emprego de navios-aeródromo na guerra das Malvinas

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze the employment of Aircraft Carriers in the Falklands War, comparing the strategies of Argentina and the United Kingdom in light of the Brazilian Naval Military Doctrine, in order to understand the determining factors for effectiveness in naval power projection. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that the South Atlantic conflict represents a real-world laboratory and one of the last conventional naval confrontations of the 20th century, whose lessons remain current for modern navies and contemporary naval strategies. By analyzing the cases from the perspective of Power Projection and Sea Control concepts, this study provides significant conclusions about the role of doctrine, logistics, and synergy in the effectiveness of carrier-centric task forces. To this end, the analysis was based on a bibliographic and documentary review, with a descriptive and analytical-comparative methodology, to identify the similarities and, principally, the singularities in the employment of aircraft carriers by both belligerents. At the end of this work, concerning the employment of the aircraft carriers, it was found that the asymmetry in the employment of capabilities in naval warfare operations and actions, rather than a technological one, was the decisive factor: the British strategy of Power Projection, cohesive and persistent, overcame the Argentine strategy of Sea Denial, which became reactive and fragmented. It is concluded that the study reinforces the strategic relevance of carrier-centric task forces, especially when supported by efficient mobile logistic support, for scenarios involving the defense of distant island territories. This is a relevant finding for the Brazilian Navy, in light of its own challenges in the defense of its oceanic islands.