The Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) was an area declared by the United Kingdom on 30 April 1982 covering a circle of radius from the centre of the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

. During the

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

any ''sea vessel'' or ''aircraft'' from ''any country'' entering the zone may have been fired upon without further warning.

Description

Maritime Exclusion Zone A Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ) is a military exclusion zone at sea. The concept is not the subject of an explicit treaty, and there has been variation in naming including: "naval exclusion zone", "maritime security zone", "blockade zone", "mariti ...

(MEZ) was declared on 12 April 1982 covered a circle of radius 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) from the centre of the Falkland Islands. Any ''Argentine warship'' or ''naval auxiliary'' entering the MEZ could have been attacked by British nuclear-powered submarines (SSN). On 23 April, in a message that was passed via the Swiss Embassy in Buenos Aires to the Argentine government, the British Government clarified that any ''Argentine ship'' or ''aircraft'' that was considered to pose a threat to British forces ''anywhere in the South Atlantic'' would be attacked: The term ''civilian aircraft'' alludes particularly, but not only, to the

Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...

of the Argentine Air Force that until then had shadowed the British Task Force on its journey south and had been escorted away on several occasions by Sea Harriers. The Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) was an area declared by the United Kingdom on 30 April 1982. It covered the same area as the MEZ. During the Falklands War any ''sea vessel'' or ''aircraft'' from ''any country'' entering the zone may have been fired upon without further warning. This has been described as a "legally questionable exclusion zone", going beyond the well understood in international law Maritime Exclusion Zone, which protects neutral and civilian vessels. When ARA ''General Belgrano'' was sunk on 2 May 1982, it was outside the TEZ. This has led to much debate and controversy over whether the attack was legal. However, exclusion zones are historically declared for the benefit of neutral vessels; during war, under

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

, the heading and location of a

belligerent A belligerent is an individual, group, country, or other entity that acts in a hostile manner, such as engaging in combat. The term comes from the Latin ''bellum gerere'' ("to wage war"). Unlike the use of ''belligerent'' as an adjective meaning ...

naval vessel has no bearing on its status. In addition, the captain of the ''Belgrano'', Héctor Bonzo, has testified that the attack was legitimate (as did the Argentine government in 1994). Interviews conducted by

Martin Middlebrook Martin Middlebrook (born 1932) is an England, English military historian and author. Education and military service Middlebrook was educated at various schools, including Ratcliffe College, Leicester. He entered National Service in 1950, was com ...

for his book, ''The Fight for the "Malvinas"'', indicated that Argentine Naval officers understood the intent of the message was to indicate that any ships operating near the exclusion zone could be attacked. Argentine Rear-Admiral Allara who was in charge of the task force of which the ''Belgrano'' was a part said, "After that message of 23 April, the entire South Atlantic was an operational theatre for both sides. We, as professionals, said it was just too bad that we lost the ''Belgrano''". On 7 May 1982, the TEZ was extended to within of the Argentine coast.Coventry, Brilliant, Broadsword, Alferez Sobral in Falklands Area Operations - Falklands War 1982
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References

{{Falklands War, style=wide Falklands War