RFA Argus: New departure scheduled for Falklands War ship as she's due to leave Portsmouth for the final time
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A Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship that served during the Falklands War is scheduled to leave Portsmouth for the final time.
Primary Casualty Receiving Ship RFA Argus, operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, is due to leave HMNB Portsmouth and be decommissioned. She was originally due to be towed to Falmouth last week, but this was delayed due to poor weather conditions.
Scheduled in the King’s Harbour Master shipping movements, RFA Argus is due to leave Victory Jetty and pass The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at 4.45pm tomorrow (March 3). She will be towed by tug boats Tempest, Bountiful, Englishman, En-Avant 26, and En-Avnat 30.
Announcing the ship’s retirement last month, the Royal Navy said: “RFA Argus has served the United Kingdom with distinction for more than 40 years, sailing around the world to support Royal Navy operations. She is also the last active ship to have served in the Falklands conflict.
“Her other service includes delivering vital humanitarian aid, enabling aviation training and providing lifesaving medical care to those in need. She will leave HMNB Portsmouth for the final time following four decades of loyal service to this country and our allies.”
The support vessel has not been operational since July 2025. Her safety certification was withdrawn after she was deemed to be unsafe to sail, following safety inspections from Lloyds Register and the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA). She has been stuck alongside HMNB Portsmouth since, with discussions being held in government as to whether to scrap the ship.
The public spotted a white line painted along her hull in January, which defence enthusiasts colloquially described as the “white mark of death”. RFA Argus is a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship, designed to provide extensive medical care to sailors and marines at sea for a long period of time.
She has a fully-equipped 100-bed medical complex on board; including an emergency department, resuscitation and surgical facilities, and a radiology suite complete with a CT scanner. Formerly a commercial vessel called MV Contender Bezant, she was requisitioned in 1982 for service in the Falklands War. There was talk of bringing the ship back into service, with politicians including Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin being given a tour of the ship. This failed to materialise, with the vessel falling into disrepair.