The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has confirmed the award of a £20 million contract to Mitie for essential runway repairs at the RAF’s Mount Pleasant Complex in the Falkland Islands.
The repairs, which are set to begin shortly, will involve resurfacing key sections of the airfield to maintain its operational readiness, according to a press release from the DIO.
The work will focus on resurfacing the Foxtrot taxiway and the threshold of the runway, covering 20,000 square metres. This is a critical task for ensuring the continued safety of air operations at the site, which is run by UK Strategic Command and plays an important role in defence operations in the region.
Major Brad Southall, Project Manager at the DIO, acknowledged the logistical challenges of conducting such a project so far from the UK, noting that “working on the other side of the world requires even closer collaboration than normal.” The project is supported by military engineers from the 8 Engineer Brigade Royal Engineers, who will help with quality control and coordination between the construction team and airfield personnel.
Charlie Antelme, Managing Director of Defence at Mitie, highlighted the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting the UK Armed Forces, both domestically and abroad. “Building on our previous successful refurbishment works at the Mount Pleasant Complex, we look forward to ensuring the safety of aircraft arrivals and departures for years to come,” he said.
The project is being fast-tracked due to the looming South Atlantic winter, which brings challenging weather conditions that make construction work nearly impossible. The repairs are expected to be completed by March 2025, ahead of the worst of the winter season.
Looming winter?
Airfield repairs.
No it’s spring in the southern hemisphere.
Yes. Winter is May to July down there. So they want the work done by May 2025.
The winter is looming in about 9 months. Good time to start is now – the start of Spring.
Good, decades old runway bound to need some TLC. When can we hope to see some of the potholes fixed here across the UK road network?
There are potholes here in Adelaide Australia. No excuse for our the Oz government. They have posted a 10 billion pound surplus. No black hole here . Ow and the government is Labour.
Good the government posts details of accounts, ours don’t so is no way of knowing if any ‘black hole’ actually exists!
Mitie? The folks who can’t manage our building reception?
Good also let’s reinforce the island with better defences cause I bet Argentina is looking
I think we have enough out there, and can reinforce quickly enough.
Here’s a question to anyone who knows about such matters, we often here the rectoric that Britain is now unable to mobilise a task force ( like we did in ’82) to retake the Falklands should Argentina invade them again? I’m aware that the Islands are better defended these days, but let’s just say hypothetically Argentina did manage to invade them, could we retake them??
There was less than 100 marines with zero air defence zero artillery and zero navel defence in 1982. Currently the Island has well over 1000 personnel, air defence, artillery, and navel defence. So it’s pretty obvious that to attack the island successfully would require a large organised force. Hope this answers your question.
Plus to mobilise such a large force would take time. Time for the UK to fly many reinforcements South and send a couple of SSN for some good hunting.
In war and conflict Time is a something in short supply. Argentina just don’t have the resources. The issue of the so called Malvinas is only dug up when Argentina is in domestic trouble. Personally I found most Argentinians to be very friendly people and our group of British were well looked after. We all needed some help from our guides especially on summit day. Life is a bit hard when one is struggling to summit a 6970m mountain. Thank you Matoko the coffee on the summit was amazing.
What SSN we sending ? None at sea
With the airfield it wouldn’t need a task force this time.
Today it is more difficult for Argentina to take the islands and more difficult for UK to taken them back if they manage it. It would be like 2 poor blind old man fighting.
Argentina can send lots of merchants with troops and some escorts to take the islands but will have heavy causalities from forces there if early warning works. If they succeed then the RN will have only non ready aircraft carriers, maybe.2 air aircraft destroyers and 3-4 beaten up frigates, and some Astutes submarines that have been in port for months, wholly inadequate and with iffy replacements if the combat is not finished fast.
But we do have the ability to fire precision munitions which didnt exist in the 80’s to clear out the issue before sending anyone down.
Just in time for Dear Leader to hand the islands to Argentina..
Not going to happen.
UK governments said that about the Chagos Islands for 60 years, and then over night Starmer decides to hand them over to China via the Mauritius. His refusal multiple times to say that the Falklands won’t be handed over to Argentina and Gibraltar to Spain is also appalling. He is an HR Lawyer by profession, and as always seems the case with the these, the rights and wishes of foreign nationals and countries trump those of the UK and British citizens. What will be next on the list? Sovereign bases to Cyprus? Channel Islands to France? Orkneys and Isle of Man to Norway? Northern Ireland to Eire? Scotland to the EU? British Antarctica to China? Northern England to Denmark? He is also currently strongly backing India’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council Seat, not ruling out that this may be at the cost of the UK’s.
Chaos island is a very important island given China would like to get a foot hold there from a military point .but that would not happen as the islands were only given back with conditions 1 brittish and American presence at all time .
The F I is totally different to the Chagos . We kicked locals out of Chagos . We kicked the invaders out of the FI. Starmer is a politician and all you have mentioned would be political suicide for him and the Labour Party. I did a stint down in the Falklands and met a few local people . They are determined not to be part of Argentina. There is more chance of independence for the Islands with a close alliance with UK. Personally I am a little bit fed up with the anti government sentiment on the Internet. We had an election and Starmer won. Next time it may be a Tory mp . That’s our system.
I’d like to point out that the Chagos hand-back was started by the last government, finished by this one.
Exactly
Southern Hemisphere winter has passed its now spring .
That means we are waving the white flag
We always invest billions before handovers
Get the airfield repaired ASP , as the Argies are sabre rattling again . This government MUST KEEP THE FALKLANDS . I was there for the last Falklands War and would hate to think all those lads died in vain .
Friday 10 May 1985. Snowing in Port Stanley and Mount Pleasant. I know, because my flight back to Brize Norton was delayed and had to spend my 21st birthday on The Falklands.