In a further display of military power in the South Atlantic, the British Armed Forces conducted Operation Southern Sovereignty, a joint exercise spanning from South Georgia to Ascension Island. The maneuver brought together naval, air, and land units under the command of Brigadier General Charlie Harmer, Commander of British Forces South Atlantic, with the stated purpose of “assessing Britain’s ability to project power simultaneously across the maritime, land, and air domains.”
The central component of the operation was the patrol vessel HMS Forth (P222), a ship based in the Malvinas Islands from which joint actions were coordinated. A detachment from the Royal Irish Regiment, an infantry company, was integrated on board, reinforcing the amphibious and rapid response capabilities of the surface unit. Air support maneuvers were conducted from the islands by Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets and an A400M Atlas tactical transport aircraft operating from Mount Pleasant, a military infrastructure that supports operations in the region.
Simultaneously, another detachment from the Royal Irish Regiment was deployed to Ascension Island, demonstrating the British forces’ ability to operate in an integrated manner across a large theater of operations. In addition to the military objectives, the operation included a civilian component, with personnel from all three branches supporting the transfer of materials for infrastructure projects in South Georgia.
However, these maneuvers are taking place against a backdrop of escalating diplomatic tension. In recent months, the United Kingdom has intensified its military and logistical presence from the Malvinas Islands, utilizing civilian infrastructure in countries throughout the region. A recent example was the flight of the A400M Atlas ZM407, a Royal Air Force aircraft, which made a technical stop in Santiago, Chile. These types of flights, which will be frequent throughout 2025, are part of a network connecting the Malvinas to the mainland and Antarctica, consolidating a logistical framework that expands British operational reach over disputed territories.
Operation Southern Sovereignty, therefore, not only reaffirms the United Kingdom’s military capabilities in the South Atlantic, but also its strategy of consolidating a permanent presence in a territory that remains the subject of international dispute. While London presents these actions as exercises of sovereignty, for Argentina they represent a continuation of a colonial occupation contrary to United Nations resolutions, which urge the resumption of negotiations for the return of the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands to Argentine sovereignty.
*Image credits: UK Ministry of Defence.
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