Historic homecoming as HMS Forth due to come home to Portsmouth after Royal Navy Falkland Islands mission

HMS Forth will be brought home to Portsmouth after being relieved by HMS Medway. She has retained a strong presence in the South Atlantic islands for several years.

Almost six years to the day HMS Forth arrived to take on the role of South Atlantic patrol ship, the current Commander of British Forces in the region Brigadier Charlie Harmer, thanked the 50-strong ship’s company for their efforts, and welcomed their successors to the Falklands. Since arriving at East Cove Military Port - close to the UK base on the islands at Mount Pleasant - HMS Forth has conducted 155,000 nautical miles of patrols.

This is the equivalent to sailing around the globe seven times. Most of her time has been spent sailing around the 778 islands which comprise the Falklands, providing reassurance to the 3,600 citizens. These patrols involved enforcing fishery protection regulations, working with the RAF and Army, and conducting general maritime security operations.

HMS Forth also visited the remote island chain of South Georgia, home to the grave of legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and renowned for its wildlife. During her deployment, The River-class offshore patrol vessel launched her sea boat on 250 as she changed her personnel throughout the operation.

Her crew have become an integral part of life in the Falklands, attending major events in islanders’ calendars, such as Liberation Day - commemorating the end of Argentine occupation - and Battle Day, marking the Royal Navy’s destruction of Admiral Graf Spee’s squadron.

Key moments of HMS Forth’s time in the region include racing against time to deliver Covid vaccines to Tristan da Cunha. She took part in Exercise Unitas in 2022 off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, joining 16 other nations.

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Commander Grahame Graham-Flint, who took charge of Forth shortly before her recent patrol of South Georgia and is now bringing her home to Portsmouth, said the islands would live on in the hearts of her crew.

“Our thanks to all those that have supported our time here,” he added. “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. “Now handing over to HMS Medway, we begin our transit back to the UK in preparation for future tasking.”

HMS Medway assumes South Atlantic patrol having handed over responsibility for the Caribbean, he usual patrolling area.