| Falkland Islands Defence Force | |
|---|---|
.svg) Badge of the Falkland Islands Defence Force | |
| Active | 1892–1920 (as the Falkland Islands Volunteer Corps) 1920–1982 1983–present |
| Country |  Falkland Islands United Kingdom |
| Type | Local reserve defence force |
| Role | Light Infantry to support and reinforceBritish Forces South Atlantic Islands and additional roles[1] |
| Size | Platoon toCompany-strength unit[2][1] 2 Permanent Staff Personnel ~40 to 100 Primary Reserve Personnel[nb 1] ~100 Secondary Reserve Personnel[4] |
| Garrison/HQ | Port Stanley |
| Motto | Faithful In Defence[5] |
| Anniversaries | 13 December |
| Engagements | Falklands War |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | Maj Daniel Biggs[6] |
TheFalkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in theFalkland Islands, aBritish Overseas Territory. The FIDF works alongside the military units supplied by theUnited Kingdom to ensure the security of the islands.
The FIDF is not a part of theBritish Armed Forces, it is independently funded and controlled by the Falkland Islands Government.[7]
In 1847, LieutenantRichard Clement Moody,Governor of the Falkland Islands, formed the Falklands' militia force, consisting of two infantry platoons, and a combined mounted and artillery unit.[8] A volunteer unit was reformed in 1854, during theCrimean War, to guard against possible aggression by theRussian Empire.[9]
In 1892, a steamer owned by one of the belligerents involved in theChilean Civil War docked atPort Stanley.[8] Ostensibly there to carry out repairs to its engines, the presence onboard of 200 armed soldiers was considered a security threat, and Governor SirRoger Goldsworthy therefore ordered that an armed volunteer force be formed. The first draft of men of the Falkland Islands Volunteer Corps were sworn in at a ceremony at theFalkland Government House, in June 1892.[8]
During theFirst World War, members of the Volunteer Corps were mobilised to man military outposts around the Islands, while 36Falklanders enlisted in the British armed forces, 10 of whom subsequently lost their lives during the war.[9] In 1919 the Falkland Island Volunteer Corps were stood down and were subsequently renamed as the Falkland Islands Defence Force on 13 December 1920.[8]
During the First World War the Volunteers were issued theGeneral Service Corps cap badge. This was used into the 1930s on dress uniforms.[8]
In 1931 on the recommendation of Captain C.E.C Ransome Royal Marines visiting the island on HMS Danae the Defence Force adopted Royal Marine Blue Dress Uniforms for ceremonial duties. This style of uniform is still in use today.[8]
The FIDF was mobilised again during theSecond World War, manning defensive outposts around the Islands. At this time, a mounted rifles unit was raised.[8]
On 27 September 1939, thirty-three men arrived from Argentina in a group called the "Tabaris Highlanders." Gathered from theAnglo-Argentine community, they were supposed to defend the islands from a German attack. Six of these volunteers were rejected on medical and other grounds and returned to Buenos Aires almost immediately. The "commanding officer," a Major Morrough, was one of those rejected. The remainder were enrolled in the Falkland Islands Defence Force, with Ronald Campbell madesergeant as commander and Thomas Dawson Sanderson madecorporal. Many wererugby players, including Sanderson, who was president of a rugby club.[10]
The men left the Islands on 8 December 1939, once the immediate danger of attack from German raiders was judged to have receded. During this time the Highlanders dug out gun pits, embankments, and other protection from a possible German naval attack. Twenty-two of them applied from Stanley to join the British Forces.[10]
During the war, around 150 islanders joined the British armed forces, of which 26 were killed in action.[8] In June 1946 a section of the FIDF took part in the Victory Parade in London.[8]
After the end of the war, the presence ofRoyal Marines as part of the Islands' defence led to the FIDF adopting drill styles.[8] On 28 September 1966,[11] 19 members of an Argentine extremist group staged a symbolic invasion of the Islands by landing aDC-4 on Stanley Racecourse,[12] in one of the first significanthijacking incidents; the extremist group called this actionOperation Condor. There, they took four islanders hostage. The FIDF, alongside the Royal Marines, contained the situation and the group surrendered without casualties.[3] Following this, the FIDF was on heightened alert until February 1967.[8]
On 1 April 1982, alongside the Royal Marines party, the FIDF was mobilised to defend the Islands from theArgentine invasion. Many of its members lived in remote settlements so given the limited notice of its approximately 120 men some 32 turned out.[8] The following day,Sir Rex Hunt ordered them to surrender. The Argentines confiscated all of the FIDF's equipment and declared them to be an illegal organisation. For the duration of thewar, some members of the FIDF were kept underhouse arrest atFox Bay until the Argentine surrender. The FIDF was reformed in 1983.[8][3]
Terry Peck, a former member of the Defence Force, spied on Argentine forces in Stanley, then escaped to become a scout for the 3rd Battalion,Parachute Regiment, with which he fought at theBattle of Mount Longdon.[13]
On 28 April 2021, a new motto "Faithful in Defence" was awarded to the FIDF following approval by the Queen.[14]
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The Falkland Islands Defence Force meet once a week for training, with various extended training weekends throughout the year. Soldiers of the Falkland Islands Defence Force conduct training patrols with soldiers from the British garrison on the islands as well as acting as "enemy" forces againstBritish soldiers in training exercises.[15]
FIDF soldiers provide search and rescue and mountain rescue services across the islands[8][16] and can deploy aboard the Falklands Government patrol vessel for sovereignty protection duties if the vessel requires an armed presence.[17]
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As of 2023, the Falklands Government sovereignty and fisheries patrol vessel is the FPVLilibet, which arrived in the islands in April and is tasked with policing the exclusive economic zone around the islands.[17] The ship is named in honour of the late QueenElizabeth II, and has been leased to the Falklands Government by Seagull Maritime Limited for fifteen years.[18] Civilian-crewed, the vessel is aDamen Stan 5009 patrol ship with a maximum speed of up to 29.5knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph) and a crew of up to 28 persons.[19] She has an endurance of 30 days, though sixty days of provisions can be carried. If patrolling at 10 knots she can reportedly operate for 42 days with a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi). She is fitted with twoBrowning .50 caliber heavy machine gun mounts though she routinely deploys unarmed.[20]
Major Peter Biggs[21][8] served with the FIDF for 35 years and was the Commanding Officer from 2002 to 2018.[6][3] Justin McPhee was selected as the next commanding officer of the FIDF in 2018.[6]
In 2019, Major Justin McPhee became the first FIDF Officer to complete the Intermediate Command & Staff Course (Land Reserves) at the UK Defence Academy alongside UK regular and reserve soldiers and international students.[22][8]
Equipment includes:
The Falkland Islands Defence Force today is funded entirely by theFalkland Islands government and has an annual budget of £400,000.[3]
The FIDF is organised as alight infantry company with additional roles, though, as of 2022, it was reported to be closer to platoon-strength with 40 personnel.[2] It is manned entirely by the local population, based on British Army doctrine, training and operations. New recruits go through a 12-week training program.[25] In an agreement with theBritish Ministry of Defence, a Royal Marines Warrant Officer Class 2 is seconded to the Force as aPermanent Staff Instructor.[8][1]
Members of the FIDF swear allegiance to the Monarch of the United Kingdom, PresentlyKing Charles III, and theGovernor of the Island acts as the Commander-in-Chief of the force, however in practice the Governor is obligated by law to consult with the Commander of British Forces on the island on decisions involving the FIDF and act on the advice of the Commander of British Forces.[26][27]
The cap badge is the badge of the FIDF cast in metal. It shows theescutcheon party per bend, with aSea Lion in the lower half, and the rear end of an old sail ship in the upper half, surrounded by theslogan "Desire the Right". This badge was formerly theCoat of arms of the Falkland Islands from 1925 to 1948.[28]
The ranks of the FIDF are the same as those used in the British Army/Royal Marines. Rank slides have the badge of Rank and wording on bottom of 'FALKLAND ISLANDS'[29]
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falkland Islands Defence Force |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Field Uniform rank slides |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falkland Islands Defence Force |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warrant officer class 2 (Permanent staff instructor) | Colour sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Private | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Field Uniform rank slides |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
United Kingdom –The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) United Kingdom –Royal Marines
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