With the purpose of supporting the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) forward operations, between February 13 and 15, the Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out Operation “Austral Endurance,” consisting of a series of reconnaissance missions over Union Glacier in Antarctica. These operations were conducted by an Airbus A400M Atlas tactical transport aircraft deployed from Punta Arenas, Chile, with the support of a Voyager refueling aircraft deployed from the Malvinas Islands.
The aircraft, registered as ZM421, departed from Mount Pleasant Air Base en route to the city of Punta Arenas, Chile, where it arrived on February 13. After completing the stopover, the aircraft took off again, heading for Antarctica.
For these long-range missions, the RAF was supported by a Voyager KC3 refueling aircraft, responsible for in-flight fuel supply. This combination allowed the A400M to reach extremely remote areas, making it the southernmost mission conducted by the RAF in recent years. The aircraft operated beyond the 79th parallel south in a key operation for scientific research and environmental monitoring, ensuring the safety of scientists in the region.
Based at the Mount Pleasant Military Complex, located on Soledad Island (Malvinas Islands), the A400M aircraft participate in aerial reconnaissance missions and support BAS operations. In 2023, the RAF deployed an A400M to these latitudes for the first time, marking the first occasion that an aircraft of this type took part in cargo drop operations, a task previously performed by C-130 Hercules aircraft.
Operation “Austral Endurance” 2023 aimed primarily at supplying fuel and other provisions to BAS. For this, the assigned A400M (Flight 1312) conducted airdrops over the forward operating station “Sky Blu,” located in southern Palmer Land at 75° south latitude and 1,320 nautical miles from Mount Pleasant. A total delivery of 300 fuel drums was planned, successfully completed over three drops.
Union Glacier has gained significant relevance over the past decade, as it is considered a gateway to the Antarctic continent. Since 2008, the company Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions LLC (ALE), which supports extreme tourism and private expeditions to the South Pole, has developed a blue ice runway in the area, allowing the landing of large aircraft. Additionally, Chile inaugurated the Joint Scientific Polar Station Glaciar Unión, operated by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) and the Armed Forces, strengthening its scientific presence in the region.
The RAF missions from the Malvinas Islands in support of Antarctic research reinforce the British strategy of continuously operating from this strategic archipelago in the South Atlantic. Argentina, meanwhile, maintains its legitimate claim of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, occupied by the United Kingdom since 1833.
Image credits: RAF.
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