Royal Navy's HMS Forth on mission to dispose of munitions left from Falklands War and to protect wildlife

Portsmouth-based HMS Forth was deployed to the wildlife haven to undertake a ten-day environmental mission to dispose of artillery which had been left behind following the Falklands Islands conflict.

South Georgia was the first place occupied by Argentine forces in March 1982 and the first place liberated by British forces the following month, following a naval bombardment of the hills around Grytviken and an assault by Special Forces and Royal Marines.

Nearly 40 years later the Royal Navy returned to the scene where they found rocket motors and munition which could have posed a hazard to the British Antarctic Survey scientists who work there year-round as well as the seals, seabirds and penguins who inhabit the island.

HMS Forth was also patrolling the marine rich waters to ensure fishing vessels adhere to quotas and regulations.

South Georgian waters are home to lucrative stocks of Patagonian toothfish, cod icefish and krill – which can only be harvested in specific quantities and at certain times of the year.

Supporting the mission was Royal Air Force’s A400M “Grizzly” transporter from Mount Pleasant in the Falklands. The aircraft flew a 1,700-nautical-mile round trip to identify large icebergs in Forth’s path which may have posed a hazard to the ship and her crew.

As part of their observations the crew spotted the remnants of A68a which only a few months ago was the largest iceberg in the world, and which recently grounded on South Georgia’s continental shelf splitting into many smaller parts.

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After completing the mission HMS Forth’s executive officer, Lt Cdr Richard Attwater, said: ‘The South Atlantic is a truly joint environment and this patrol is proof of that. Engineers, bomb disposal technicians, submariners, chefs, medics, civilians, infantry and sailors have come together to achieve a common goal.

‘This is my second time in South Georgia after 14 years and it remains a career highlight.’

It is HMS Forth’s third visit to the remote British territory.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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