Thank you for subscribing!

The islands' volunteer force is seeking experienced drone pilots after Javier Milei vowed to 'reclaim' them

The Falkland Islands are hiring Britons with drone-flying experience amid renewed threats from Argentina over the territory.

The Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) has launched a recruitment drive for a limited number of new volunteers, with drone operators among those being sought.

The locally-maintained volunteer force works alongside British military personnel to protect the remote South Atlantic islands.

It said it was particularly interested in recruits with local knowledge, navigation skills and experience operating drones.

Successful recruits become reservists drawn from the local community and receive military training, with members also able to attend courses in Britain.

The recruitment drive comes amid dramatically heightened tensions after Argentine President Javier Milei renewed his country's "claim" to the islands.

Mr Milei falsely declared in a televised address last week that the Falklands were Argentine "by history and by right" and rejected the islanders' right to self-determination.

He also claimed the "winds of change" were moving in Argentina's favour and announced tougher action against firms involved in oil exploration around the islands.

Argentina is targeting companies linked to the Sea Lion oil project, a major development north of the Falklands involving British firm Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum.

The latest threats prompted Britain to issue a defiant defence of the islands.

Foreign Office Minister Kirsty McNeill told MPs there was "no doubt" over British sovereignty and reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the democratic rights of Falkland Islanders.

The Falkland Islands Government has also hit back, insisting the future of the territory can only be determined by the people who live there.

It said: "Our future is a matter for the people who live here to decide.

THE FALKLAND ISLANDS - READ MORE:

"That is a right grounded in international law, and it is not altered by the statements of any other government."

The islanders overwhelmingly backed remaining a British Overseas Territory in a 2013 referendum, with 99.8 per cent voting in favour.

Argentina's military junta invaded the Falklands in 1982, but was seen off by British forces after just 74 days of fighting.

The FIDF itself played a role during the invasion, although its members were ordered not to fight Argentine troops amid fears of reprisals against civilians.

Argentina subsequently declared the force illegal and confiscated its equipment before the FIDF was re-established following the war.

Today, the volunteer unit forms one part of a substantially larger defensive presence designed to prevent any repeat of 1982.

Britain maintains a permanent military presence on the islands alongside the FIDF, with RAF Typhoon fighter jets and ground forces stationed in the territory.

The islands' defences have come under renewed political scrutiny after Mr Milei's escalation, with MPs demanding greater certainty over Britain's wider defence commitments.

Mr Milei has also seized on comments from Donald Trump suggesting Washington was reviewing its position on the sovereignty dispute, presenting them as evidence that international attitudes towards Argentina's claim are shifting.

But Britain has rejected that, with ministers insisting its commitment to the Falkland Islanders and their right to determine their own future is unwavering.