As part of a series of training exercises coordinated in the Malvinas Islands by the British Forces South Atlantic Islands, a Royal Air Force (RAF) Airbus A400M tactical transport aircraft carried out an airdrop exercise near Pradera del Ganso (Isla Soledad). The operation was part of an exercise aimed at strengthening logistical response capabilities in operational and humanitarian aid scenarios.
The deployment was carried out by 1312 Flight with the support of 47 Air Dispatch, No. 30 Squadron, and No. 70 Squadron from RAF Brize Norton. In total, 24 pallets weighing approximately 900 kilograms each were dropped from an altitude of 3,000 feet. This action marked the largest British airdrop in the Malvinas Islands from a single aircraft and one of the most significant performed by the RAF in recent years, serving as a proof of concept for large-scale drop operations in remote environments.
The exercise also served as training for troops from the Second Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles Regiment (2 RGR), who are currently deployed in the archipelago. Recently, between March 17 and 21, the Gurkhas participated in the Cape Kukri III exercise alongside the Roulement Infantry Company (RIC). During the final phase of this exercise, training included blank ammunition drills at Onion Range, in central Isla Soledad, as well as operations in Stanley Common and on elevations such as Mounts Challenger, Wall, Harriet, and Tumbledown, during both day and night scenarios.
In parallel with the activities on the islands, the A400M has also demonstrated its operational versatility in projection missions to Antarctica. In mid-February, the RAF carried out Operation “Austral Endurance,” during which an A400M took off from Punta Arenas (Chile) bound for Union Glacier, in support of British Antarctic Survey (BAS) tasks. These missions were supported by a Voyager aircraft operating from the Monte Agradable base.
These activities reflect the United Kingdom’s interest in maintaining a high level of training, logistics, and deployment capability in the Malvinas Islands, a territory whose sovereignty is permanently claimed by the Republic of Argentina.
Image credits: BFSAI.
You may also like: Facing the retirement of its Merlin helicopters in 2030, the Royal Navy is seeking new airborne early warning capabilities for its aircraft carriers
