The Royal Air Force has initiated a series of long-range resupply flights for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) using an Atlas A400M transport aircraft based in the Falkland Islands.
This marks the first time that an RAF Atlas aircraft from the RAF Brize Norton-based Air Mobility Force has been utilised for this purpose, with previous missions being conducted by RAF C-130 Hercules aircraft.
The first sortie of the annual RAF mission was carried out from the Falkland Islands to the Sky Blu Drop Zone near the BAS Sky Blu forward operating station located at latitude 75 degrees South in Southern Palmer Land, Antarctica, approximately 1320 nautical miles from Mount Pleasant.
The mission this year aims to deliver 300 fuel drums, with five additional airdrops planned, contingent on weather conditions in the coming days.
The Atlas sorties are supported by the Voyager KC3 tanker, also part of 1312 Flight, operated by aircrew from 10 and 101 Squadrons.
Wing Commander Christopher Pope, Officer Commanding 905 Expeditionary Air Wing was quoted as saying:
“We are pleased to have begun delivering the supplies requested by BAS during Operation Austral Endurance. The tenacity and flexibility of our team from 1312 Flight and 47 (Air Despatch) Squadron Royal Logistic Corps, mean that we are able to carry out this extremely challenging mission in one of the most hostile environments in the world.”
The small British Forces in the South Atlantic are for supporting Queen Elizabeth Land, a territory several times larger than all the UK.
It’s why the Falkland’s is a future geopolitical hot potato…a virgin continent, that will open up more and more due to global warming and the worlds need for resources..
You may be right, Jonathan. But there are legal obstacles in developing Antarctica.
Assuming anyone who is making trouble cares about international law?
Do you think Russia or China care?
Hence why fortress Falklands is rather important.
China may well rearm Argentina and support their proxy to do something silly. That said Latin American politics is a total mess.
Indeed most people really have no notion of what the falklands means to the BAT and that it’s the gateway to the last unexploited continent on the plant…of which we claim sovereignty for the best chunk due to finders rights.
Hi J.
Read you’re comments on this before. V interesting. Why is it that the BAT the best bit?
Sorry, ignore, I have just read your post below as to why.
Hi Daniele. The BAT is really interesting and why it’s probably the best bit of the Antarctic is related to the Antarctic Peninsula. This because almost all of the Antarctic is 70 degrees south or more, the Antarctic Peninsula is more like 60 degrees south, which makes a difference. it also has a string of islands running upto the Falklands that creates a really big potential EEZ on a continental shelf. It’s got a fair bit of the land that’s not under ice sheet or a a mountain ( still only 1%)Finally most of the Antarctic is very isolated from… Read more »
Great post. Good points that seem so obvious now you state them that I had never considered. 👍 I will be saving that one for my own use if the subject comes up off of here out in the world.
As supportive said, it’s essentially a treaty that was put in place to suspend any national activities other than scientific research. But there are a few key bits: 1) no key global power apart from the UK and France (including the US) recognised the UKs prior claims or anyone’s claims. 2) there has been an explosion of nations building “science” stations over the last few decades…these are in reality more national flags on ground as much as about science. 3) the moratorium on exploitation comes up for review in the 2040s and I would bet good money that by that… Read more »
To my minds, the importance of BFSAI just quadrupled with that comment.
I hope Labour and other future governments are not geopolitically blind.
i forgot to add, that the bit we own the Antarctic Peninsula is defrosting due to global warming with around a 75% increase in exposed lane mass. It’s also going to have the stuff everyone wants..copper, silver, gold, platinum etc.
It sounds like one good step might be to adopt elements of the Metropolitan France model for British Overseas Territories.
Yes at the moment the way it’s managed as an overseas territory works as it’s ticking along..but it has not actually population other than a transient population and it’s budget is self sustaining by science, stamps and a bit of tourism. But if it kicks into major extraction and needs around defence the UK will have to use another model.
All up for renegotiation in 2048, when the Antarctic Treaty turns into a pumpkin !
Indeed…even if it lasts that long..all it takes is one nation to decide it needs the resources ”The UK, Japan, and the USA are currently arguing against a permanent ban on mining. With mineral and fuel resources depleting in other parts of the world, China and Russia have expressed their interest in exploring the region for minerals and fuel” it is likely the Antarctic will be very good for: silver, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, iron ore, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc, manganese lead, titanium, nickel, and uranium. Coal and hydrocarbons as it shares the same geology as the really mineral rich… Read more »
I saw Voyager down over Antartica, thought was trying to get pictures of new Iceberg from Brunt Shelf….
Surely you posted this report last week?
If they airdrop 300 fuel drums how do they get them out again?
Maybe they’re edible?
I thought of Pringles when you said that, then saw your surname!! 😄
We need to be building a decent airstrip and refuelling facilities on South Georgia to allow for future geopolitical stuff involving BATS
At present holding the Falklands and maintain mount pleasant as well as all our science stations as well as having a global navy that is able to deploy to the south Atlantic, southern ocean and having a close home port in the Falklands..that puts us well ahead in maintaining sovereignty over the BAT if the South Atlantic and Antarctic geopolitical bubble bursts. But we need to maintain these as at some point the bubble will burst and it will be the difference between people asking us nicely if they can exploit something in the BAT or taking it form us.
Agreed but I’m thinking as a squaddie 🙂 therefore having only one base/ port/ airbase so far from home always is worrisome, We need two, one to back up the other in case of conflict. if we lost control over the falklands all our assets would be vulnerable.
Is there even room on South Georgia for an airfield? I thought it was all mountains and glaciers.
The MPA complex and other FI infrastructure is quite extensive, they won’t be replicating that elsewhere.
Good question , They managed to build on on St Helena by chopping off the top of a mountain, So it must be doable.
It was once suggested building a pier as a runway and also sinking an old aircraft carrier to create a landing zone 🙂 I think that would be a non stater unless it was a mile long LOL
😀 Well Bill, look at Gibraltar, not a pier as such but still.
The AC idea is hilarious.,,I had no idea they did that at St Helena ( our geoff on UKDJ is the man for St Helena stuff ) but assume weather conditions in S Georgia and St Helena a bit different for landing on top of a mountain. 😳
Tristan de Cuhna has flat area that could potentially be used to build a runway. but it is still over 2k miles fm Falklands. South Georgia is better disatnce wise but the sheer cost/destruction that would be need would devastae the island ecology.
better to expand Stanley Airport to provide a credible alternate landing site.
Yes, a more sensible and affordable solution!
Having good runway on TdeC would be big strategic bonus in addition to Mount pleasant / Wideawake and St Helena
Biggest issue at St Helena is they didn’t do enough surveys, suffers from wind shear!! which restricts use.
I looked into the feasibility of sinking ex-Hermes off Pitcairn when it was for sale, and I think it would have been a good idea for all sorts of other reasons than a runway: power generation, office space, hotel, redundant comms links, refulling station and so on, but the actual airstrip itself would have been only borderline useable for something like a Britten-Norman Islander. For VTOL it wouldn’t be too bad, but Pitcairn needed a STOL aircraft to reach stations in French Polynesia. I think South Georgia is also outside of reasonable helicopter range from anywhere, including the Falklands.
Its quite a large place, and there is room for an airfield. Up untill now there has been no need for one.