page_title: Military of the Falkland Islands
section_title: Royal Navy
hierarchical_section_title: Military of the Falkland Islands / Royal Navy
caption_attribution_description: English: HMS Dauntless (D33), the second ship of class, a stealth design of area defence Type 45 anti-aircraft destroyer of the Royal Navy, outward bound from Portsmouth Naval Base, UK. Image uploaded by me User:George.Hutchinson from a photograph taken by and supplied by Brian Burnell. Wikipedia editors are reminded that the copyright remains with the photographer, and that the terms of the Creative Commons licence; that allow editors to reuse this image apply to Wikipedia editors also, as they do to other re-users of this image. Breaches of the licence terms are not only unlawful, but are also antisocial, in that breaches discourage photographers from making their images freely available to everyone without payment. Wikipedia re-users are also reminded of the license terms that derivatives of this image should not imply that the adaptation is endorsed or approved by the author or copyright holder. Neither should derivatives be presented as the creation of the author or copyright holder, while clearly stating that the adaptation is a derivative of the original. Attribution online should be in this format Brian Burnell. On the printed page, a simpler form is acceptable - example: "Image: Brian Burnell". Non-Wikipedia users are requested to advise Brian Burnell of its use other than on Wikipedia.
context_page_description: The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory and, as such, rely on the United Kingdom for the guarantee of their security. The other UK territories in the South Atlantic, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, fall under the protection of British Forces South Atlantic Islands, formerly known as British Forces Falkland Islands, which includes commitments from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. They are headed by the Commander of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands.
  Argentina invaded and took control of the Falklands on 2 April 1982. After recapturing the territory in June 1982, the UK invested heavily in the defence of the islands, the centrepiece of which was a new airfield at RAF Mount Pleasant, 27 miles west of Stanley. The base was opened in 1985, and became fully operational in 1986.
context_section_description: RAF Mount Pleasant has its own port facility called Mare Harbour, operated by Naval Party 2010 (NP2010). The Royal Navy has a formal commitment, through Atlantic Patrol Tasking (South), to maintain a potential presence in the area with a frigate or guided missile destroyer accompanied by an RFA vessel in the South Atlantic. However as of 2019, HMS Lancaster was the last frigate to deploy on this tasking in 2015 and, in practice, an offshore patrol vessel, currently HMS Forth, is the principal presence permanently close to the islands. In addition, an Ice Patrol Ship, HMS Protector, is on station close to Antarctica for six months of the year.
  When deployed, the major warship and RFA vessel carry out the Atlantic Patrol Task (South) mission, which "provides a maritime presence to protect the UK's interests in the region". The Type 42 destroyer HMS Edinburgh took over the South Atlantic Patrol Task in October 2006, replacing HMS Southampton. Prior to Southampton's deployment in August 2005, the role was filled by HMS Cardiff, which was decommissioned on return to the UK. As of February 2010, the on-station warship was the Type 42 destroyer HMS York. In late April 2010, HMS York was relieved by the Type 23 frigate HMS Portland. In August 2010, HMS Portland was relieved by the Type 42 destroyer HMS Gloucester. On 21 April 2011, HMS York arrived at the East Cove Military Port in the Falkland Islands, beginning patrol duties for the islands. October 2011 saw the arrival of the Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose, generating a statement from UNASUR (Union of South American Nations). The Type 45 guided missile destroyer HMS Dauntless replaced HMS Montrose as of April 2012. In early August 2013, HMS Richmond was deployed to be the ship for the Royal Navy's Atlantic Patrol. HMS Portland was again deployed in January 2014 and HMS Lancaster deployed in 2015.
  The Falkland Islands Patrol ship is an updated River-class patrol vessel, which arrived in the Islands in January, 2020, and is expected to be on station for a decade or more. The previous Patrol ship, HMS Clyde, a River-class patrol vessel, had returned to Britain in late 2019 for decommissioning, after having relieved the Castle-class patrol vessels HMS Dumbarton Castle and HMS Leeds Castle in 2007.
  The Royal Navy also has Trafalgar and Astute-class nuclear submarines that it can deploy to the area, though such deployments are classified. The threat from submarines to hostile ships was demonstrated during the Falklands War when HMS Conqueror sank the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano. The Royal Navy's submarines also carry BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of 1,500 miles (2,400 km) and can strike at targets within an enemy country. In February 2012, a Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine may have been deployed to the Falkland Islands.
caption: HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 guided missile destroyer.
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