River-class OPV HMS Medway has replaced sister ship HMS Forth as the Royal Navy’s permanently deployed presence in the South Atlantic.
The 90m, 2,000-ton offshore patrol vessel recently arrived in the Falkland Islands to relieve HMS Forth at the end of her six-year stint patrolling and safeguarding British interests in the region.
As per a recent Royal Navy press statement, HMS Forth has spent the bulk of her extended deployment sailing around the 778 islands which comprise the Falklands; she has also visited South Georgia.
In total across her six-year mission she has sailed about 155,000 nautical miles — enough to circumnavigate the globe seven times. During that period crews have been replaced with relief sailors flown out from the U.K. on an approximate eight-week rolling basis.
HMS Medway had also deputised for HMS Forth while the latter warship underwent a 2023 refit in Gibraltar; now her sister ship is taking over all regular south Atlantic patrols for the foreseeable future, having transferred from her previous deployment in the Caribbean.
HMS Forth Commander Grahame Graham-Flint 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.
“Now handing over to HMS Medway, we begin our transit back to the U.K. in preparation for future tasking.”
- You can read more details on the Royal Navy website