Argentina has accused Britain of mounting a show of force in the Falkland Islands with a military exercise that includes missile launches in the disputed South Atlantic archipelago.

Argentina issued a foreign ministry statement late Wednesday condemning the exercises. It also issued a warning to mariners to stay out of the area, citing British "missile launch exercises" between July 16 and 27.

"The Argentine government, in the face of this new demonstration and exercise of force by the British government, rejects and condemns the military exercises the United Kingdom is conducting with missile launches from the territory of the Malvinas Islands," the statement said.

The Malvinas is the Spanish name for the Falklands, a remote but disputed group of islands that was the object of a brief but bloody war between the two countries in 1982.

Tensions over the islands have heated up over the past year, the 30th anniversary of the conflict, intensified in part by British moves to open waters around the Falklands to oil exploration.

"Britain once again threatens Argentina and Latin America by scheduling missile launch exercises in the South Atlantic. The maneuvers put at risk the safety of all vessels in the area," the Argentine statement said.

The Argentine defense ministry's naval hydrographic service issued a "warning for mariners" citing British plans for missile launches in Falklands waters.

It warned Argentine ships to stay clear of the area.

The war over the Falklands erupted after Argentine forces invaded the British-ruled islands. They were defeated by a British naval expeditionary force that recaptured the islands in a 74-day campaign that claimed the lives of 649 Argentines and 255 British service members.