Much has been said about the decline of the British armed services over the last decade. Newspaper headline writers love to say that Britain would be unable to mount a Task Force to retake the Falklands because of a lack of ships. They are mistaken.
When the Task Force set sail in 1982 it was without a proper large aircraft carrier. The carriers HMS Hermes and Invincible were small and equipped with a limited number of the untried Sea Harriers. Frigates and destroyers back in 1982 were not equipped with modern weapons so that they could take out missiles such as the Exocet. In the end and against all odds Britain was successful but it was a close-run thing.
While the Royal Navy of 2026 is smaller, it is equipped with a proper-sized aircraft carrier which can embark the state-of-the-art F35 stealth fighter. The small number of frigates and destroyers are well armed and capable of shooting down anything which is aimed at them.
Yes, putting together a Falklands style Task Force would cause many headaches for admirals in 2026 but it is not impossible. What worries me is that the Royal Navy was badly equipped at the height of the Cold War. Perhaps the person at the wheel should walk the plank!