Royal Navy patrol ships rotate in Falklands mission

The Royal Navy has carried out a planned rotation of its South Atlantic patrol vessels, with HMS Medway taking over duties around the Falkland Islands as HMS Forth begins her return to the UK, the UK Defence Journal understands.

HMS Forth has served as the Navy’s permanent presence in the region for nearly six years, operating from East Cove Military Port near Mount Pleasant. She is now handing responsibility to her sister ship HMS Medway, which arrives from the Caribbean to assume the long-term patrol role. Forth was the first of the Royal Navy’s second-generation offshore patrol vessels to deploy on an extended overseas mission. During her time in the South Atlantic, the ship conducted maritime security operations, supported fishery protection enforcement and worked alongside RAF and British Army units based on the islands.

According to the Royal Navy, HMS Forth covered approximately 155,000 nautical miles during the deployment, patrolling the waters surrounding the Falklands’ 778 islands and operating across the wider joint operations area, including visits to South Georgia. The ship also supported wider defence and government activity, including participation in Exercise Unitas off Brazil in 2022 and a humanitarian mission in 2021 to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, according to the service.

Personnel rotations formed a regular part of the deployment, with around one third of the ship’s company rotating every seven to eight weeks. In total, the Royal Navy said 42 crew changes took place during the mission. Brigadier Charlie Harmer, Commander of British Forces in the South Atlantic, thanked the ship’s company for their contribution during a handover event at East Cove and formally welcomed HMS Medway as the new patrol vessel.

Commander Grahame Graham-Flint, commanding officer of HMS Forth, said the deployment had left a lasting impression on the crew.

“Our thanks to all those that have supported our time here,” he said. “Throughout our time in the South Atlantic, HMS Forth has been deployed at range on operations, working with the Army, RAF and other government partners as part of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands.” He added: “Now handing over to HMS Medway, we begin our transit back to the UK in preparation for future tasking.”

HMS Medway assumes responsibility for the South Atlantic patrol mission after spending much of her operational service in the Caribbean, where she previously supported regional security and maritime operations, according to the Royal Navy.