HMS Medway recently carried out live machine gun firings at the edge of the Falkland Islands Conservation Zone during a four-day patrol at the end of July, British Forces South Atlantic Islands stated.
The patrol, designated Operation Southern Vigilance, ran from 26 to 29 July. The ship’s company fired mounted machine guns and worked through a man overboard exercise alongside an RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft, work the command describes as maintaining operational readiness. According to BFSAI, the deployment demonstrated the UK’s enduring commitment to the Falkland Islands by maintaining a visible presence and a capable force, helping to deter potential adversaries.
The Falkland Islands Conservation Zone extends 150 nautical miles from the centre of the archipelago and was established in 1990 to manage fish stocks, principally squid, which underpin a large share of the islands’ economy. Licensing and enforcement within it fall to the Falkland Islands Government, with the Royal Navy providing the deterrent presence and the fisheries patrol vessel Lilibet carrying out routine inspection work.
HMS Medway is a River-class offshore patrol vessel commissioned in 2019 and took over the South Atlantic Patrol Task from HMS Forth, which held the role for several years after replacing HMS Clyde. The class displaces around 2,000 tonnes and carries a 30mm gun, machine guns and a flight deck able to take a Merlin, with an endurance suited to long independent patrols in remote waters.
The ship is the only Royal Navy vessel permanently assigned to the region. British Forces South Atlantic Islands also operates Typhoon fighters and A400M and Voyager aircraft from RAF Mount Pleasant on East Falkland, alongside an infantry company, Rapier’s successor Sky Sabre air defence and a radar station on Mount Byron.
HMS Medway has remained active around the Falkland Islands since the exercise. Last month, members of the ship’s Senior Rates were ashore in Port Stanley, where they helped the Lighthouse Seafarers Mission prepare for renovations.
This is not the first British deterrence and sovereignty operation in the South Atlantic in recent times, with HMS Forth and RAF aircraft previously taking part in Operation Southern Sovereignty earlier this year to demonstrate the ability to project force across the region and deter aggression.
Argentina continues to claim the islands, which it calls the Malvinas, and raises the question annually at the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation. The British position rests on the 2013 referendum in which islanders voted by 1,513 votes to three to remain a British Overseas Territory.
Editor’s note: BFSAI puts the live firing under training serials and applies the deterrence line to Operation Southern Vigilance as a whole. It is my view that the gunnery was highlighted precisely as part of the overall presence and deterrence point. Nobody publicises machine gun drills for the sake of it.
A patrol vessel deters by being present and visibly able to do something about it, and a crew that has not fired its weapons in months is neither. Leaving that out would report the operation less accurately than the command described it. On Argentina, BFSAI says “potential adversaries” and stops. There is one country with a standing claim to the islands. Writing around that would be coy.
not sure a 0.50 and 30mm cannon will deter much, but then pretty sure no is going to war over the islands its all talk, stired up by are closet allie again,
Stick a wildcat onboard with four sea venom and she could sink the entire Argentine navy on her own.
And to think that HMG are going to retired wildcat ? They only entered service in 2015 🙄
As long as no F16s turn up
Doesn’t matter what you open up with near the Falklands – they won’t hear it in Argentina.
Politicians in Argentina drag up the Falklands on a regular basis to keep their popularity. There is a whole difference between that and their ability to do anything about it. UK just need to keep the prospect of a successful invasion out of reach and remain vigilant.
100% This. Argentina’s current village idiot polls are on par with Trumps at 34% Popularity. So much like Dementia Don it’s about distraction.
T does like to stay in the limelight doesn’t he. Clearly there are some listening and taking onboard everything he says. Mid terms should be interesting.
Haven’t we had this discussion a little while ago?It is just routine gunnery practice not meant to deter anyone👍
Can the argies hear it???
The UK should tell the Falklands they’ve got 48hrs to return the body of the murdered marine back to his family, or they’re on their own.
Hi folks hope all is well.
This article has been on here before, couple of months ago. Nonetheless, the Argentine government will keep banging on about the claptrap of the islands being their’s. They are obviously emboldened by Trump making his usual shoot from hip comments. This is a result of the UK not giving support to the US from the onset of the US- IRAN war. Curtesy of Starmer and now Burnham. I’m sure if required in another shooting war the US, they would assist if required. The difference now we have quite a formidable force on the Falklands, and if matters became so, we could send reinforcements if required. At the moment Argentina has little chance of mounting an amphibious attack.
Cheers
George
I hope you are not saying theUK and NATO should have joined in a war that we were not consulted on before the bombs started dropping!the only reason trump is throwing his toys out is because the US has f@cked up and he needs someone else to blame! As for the FI comments perhaps he should give us back Hawaii and Alaska back to his mate pootin!
GA it may be an idea to practice some reinforcement exercises, fly down some typhoons or fly a Poseidon aircraft down to show some intent.
Sweden doing things with radar control, stabilised, infra red/ optical sighted machine guns set up to take out drones. It’s all getting quite complicated.
How many times will people keep saying this, it’s the army ones being retired not the Navy ones!!!!!
So this is what its come to.machine guns. For a ship that size it can easily be fitted with SSMs and a phalanx. Not even sure they have chaff on them ?