Argentina is rapidly rebuilding its military with one eye on the Falkland Islands, which have been left vulnerable by Britain’s decaying armed forces.Defence chiefs have been warned the sluggish deployment of HMS Dragon to Cyprus amid the Iran war has exposed the UK’s lack of “credibility” as a global power.Former servicemen, including veterans of the 1982 conflict, have urged Sir Keir Starmer to address the decline of the UK armed forces to preserve sovereignty over the Falklands.They warn reliance on international law and the UK’s diminishing soft power will not be enough if a crisis erupts in South America.Four decades ago, Britain deployed a task force 8,000 miles south within a matter of days to repel the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands.The victorious operation stunned the world and, as Falklands veteran Simon Weston told GB News, “put Britain back on the credibility map”.However, 43 years later, the retired Welsh Guardsman despaired: “We’ve slid backwards and backwards.”Stuart Fawcett, an ex-Royal Navy officer, concurred. His experience led him to conclude the Falklands no longer enjoyed the security it had 44 years ago.Argentina is rapidly rebuilding its armed forces with one eye on the Falkland Islands amid the UK’s military decline | GETTYHe told the People’s Channel: “We did a defence assessment in the early 2010s on whether we could defend the Falklands if Argentina decided to claim them again and invade. And we couldn’t. We couldn’t deploy.”The 2010 report for the Ministry of Defence raised “particular concern” about Britain’s “much reduced intervention capability” and an inability to “conduct operations on the level of the Falklands Conflict”.Referring to continued defence cuts since his service, Mr Fawcett asked forebodingly: “What chance do we have 16 years later?”Argentina’s firebrand president, Javier Milei, said his nation’s right to “Islas Malvinas” is “non-negotiable”. But the libertarian statesman is seeking a diplomatic solution to annexing the islands, based on the UK’s agreement to transfer ownership of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. It has been feared Britain could not repeat the stunning defence of the Falklands it had done in 1982 | GETTYMr Fawcett said: “We should be concerned about our ability to say no. Our soft power is based on the integrity of our hard power, and we have demonstrated recently that we can’t back it up.“I think if there is a perception that British military might is much weakened, which exists because it is true, then there’s always going to be someone who will chance their army.”The United Kingdom maintains a permanent garrison in the Falklands, including four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets and a rotating infantry company from the British Army, as well as supporting radar, logistics and air defence units.HMS Forth, a lone coastal patrol vessel, makes up the naval contingent of the island’s defence.Falklands veteran Simon Weston said UK’s armed forces have ‘slid backwards and backwards’ over the last four decades | GETTYLieutenant Colonel Stuart Crawford commented: “Argentina was not militarily capable of taking the Falklands because its military had been so run down over the last few decades.”Nevertheless, Argentina is currently embarking on its most significant military modernisation effort in decades. Mr Milei said he is in talks to end a post-war arms embargo against his nation, which Downing Street strenuously denies.Buenos Aires has acquired 24 refurbished F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from Denmark to restore its supersonic fighter capability, with the first batch delivered in December.Additional purchases have included transport aircraft, modern helicopters, drone capabilities, new tanks and troop carriers. The Argentine Navy also explored the possible acquisition of modern submarines, including the French-designed Scorpène-class.Argentina’s President Javier Milei said his country’s right to the Falklands was ‘non-negotiable’ | GETTY“The Argentinians are rearming and they are getting more sophisticated, more modern weapons,” Lt Col Crawford observed.He agreed Britain’s Falklands deployment was not inconsiderable, but would be unable to defend the islands against a modern foe without immediate reinforcements.They pointed to the case of HMS Dragon’s glacial deployment in response to a recent drone attack on Britain’s Cypriot sovereign base, RAF Akrotiri, as damning evidence.Mr Weston questioned: “How ridiculous does Britain look and the British military look with the debacle that’s gone on over Dragon? How minuscule does our influence look on the world if we can’t support our people at this moment in time?”Argentina has procured 24 advanced F-16 jets as part of its military overhaul | GETTYThe Royal Navy now operates just 19 major surface warships, down from more than 40 in the late Cold War era.HMS Prince of Wales is Britain’s only deployable aircraft carrier, with HMS Queen Elizabeth docked in Portsmouth for extensive repairs. The predecessors of these huge ships, with destroyer and submarine escorts, were critical to victory back in the 1980s.This “pathetic” modern capability means much of the fleet is often tied up in maintenance cycles and other global commitments, leaving it unable to respond rapidly to crises.“We shouldn’t be seeing the degradation of armed forces over many years at the hands of different governments,” Mr Weston stressed.The glacial deployment of HMS Dragon to Cyprus has deeply concerned veterans and defence experts | GETTYMr Weston, who was left with life-changing injuries after his transport ship, RFA Sir Galahad, was bombed by an Argentine jet, explained his survival and ultimate British victory owed to the armed forces operating at their “optimum”.“We have to have all those branches at their optimum, not at their minimum,” he told Britain’s News Channel.To that end, he insisted a revival of Britain’s defences was imperative.He commented: “I think having been there, having nearly lost my life, we have to do the right thing at the right time. The right time is NOW. It’s never tomorrow. It’s now; if we don’t do it now, what do we say to people? What do we say to families?”’We shouldn’t be seeing the degradation of armed forces,’ Falklands hero Simon Weston said | PAHowever, this support meant more than just fighter jets and battleships, but the essential support services on which Britain’s power projections rely.“Without the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, we wouldn’t have been able to sustain the campaign,” Mr Weston revealed.The RFA provides logistical and operational support to British deployments worldwide. In 1982, it helped transport ground troops, supplies and fuel to the Falklands.However, the fleet’s capabilities have been drastically reduced by early retirements of vessels. Meanwhile, chronic personnel shortages mean the ships left are often unable to set sail.Britain has just one aircraft carrier ready for service, with slim options available for vital escort vessels | GETTYMr Fawcett despaired: “We’ve also had to chop the RFA, which does all the fuelling and logistical support, and that’s really struggling. The RFA is in s**t state.”The role of the United States may also prove pivotal in the future of Britain’s claim to the Falklands. Under Ronald Reagan, Washington supplied intelligence, satellite imagery, logistical support and base access to British forces.However, Donald Trump’s administration has close ties with Mr Milei’s office, supporting and financing its rearmament, including the recent fighter jet procurement.Argentina has built a close relationship with the United States | GETTYSome fear the current frosty Anglo-American relationship could mean Mr Trump may take the side of his southern neighbour over his “once great ally”. “We have no credibility with the United States whatsoever,” Mr Weston stated.Mr Fawcett questioned: “Is America going to back us up? When did we last back them up?”Moreover, he called on the UK to be realistic about the potentially solitary position it would face in defending its sovereignty over the Falklands and to plan accordingly.“If we think the rules-based order still exists, we’re kidding ourselves massively,” he stressed. “As soon as Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the rules-based order went out the window.The Falkland Islands Government told GB News the territories are well defended’ | PA“Right now is where you decide on which side you’re on. And you’re either going to stand by your sword, or you’re going to drop it.”The Falkland Islands Government emphasised the territories “are well defended, and we have every faith in His Majesty’s Armed Forces to deliver our defence and security”. Jack Ford, chairman of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, added: “The Falklands are a self-governing democracy, and we are content that the UK Government remains committed to the security and prosperity of our Islands, and promoting our rights – a position which has cross-party consensus across the UK political spectrum.”The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment.