Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:24:47-2:25:24

Why Operation Highjump was not a Falklands template

The Royal Navy relied on its own experience and capabilities rather than treating the American Antarctic expedition as a direct model.

Expeditionary WarfareFalklands WarMilitary LessonsOperation CorporateOperation HighjumpRoyal Navy
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Question

Did the Royal Navy use Operation Highjump as a model when preparing to fight in the South Atlantic in 1982?

Short answer

No; it drew on its own history and capabilities, and Operation Corporate was assembled very quickly.

Notes

The Royal Navy did not use Operation Highjump as a direct template for fighting in the South Atlantic in 1982. British planners had their own institutional history and a different set of operational capabilities. Operation Corporate was also assembled very quickly, with ships and equipment committed under severe time pressure. Lessons from a superficially similar cold-region expedition could not simply be transplanted into a wartime force with different doctrine, ships, and objectives.