Why did Britain send a naval task force to the Falkland Islands in 1982?

Britain dispatched a naval task force to the Falkland Islands in 1982 in direct response to the invasion of the territory by Argentine military forces on April 2.12

Following the collapse of long-running sovereignty negotiations, the Argentine military junta—seeking to bolster domestic support amid economic and political crises—ordered the invasion. In response, the British government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, declared a 200-mile war zone around the islands and mobilized a naval task force to forcibly reoccupy the territory.21

Britain’s commitment to the conflict was rooted in its long-standing administration of the islands since 1833 and its dedication to the principle of self-determination for the Falklanders, as recognized under the United Nations Charter. The British government maintained that allowing Argentine rule against the wishes of the islanders would be an unjust imposition of colonial control. The conflict concluded 10 weeks later with the surrender of Argentine forces at Stanley.12