The British Armed Forces carried out Operation Southern Sovereignty in late 2025, a joint military exercise conducted across a wide area of the South Atlantic that included the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia Islands, and Ascension Island. The maneuver combined naval, air, and land capabilities under a unified command, with the aim of assessing the United Kingdom’s ability to operate simultaneously across different domains and within an extensive and isolated geographic environment.
The River-class patrol vessel HMS Forth (P222) played a central role during the operation. Permanently deployed from East Cove Military Port in the Malvinas Islands, the ship acted as a command-and-control platform from which the Commander of British Forces South Atlantic, Brigadier Charlie Harmer, and his staff coordinated joint activities.
A deployment across an area of 1.5 million square miles
Operation Southern Sovereignty was conducted over an approximate area of 1.5 million square miles of the South Atlantic, covering an operational triangle between the Malvinas, South Georgia, and Ascension Island. The exercise included the participation of units from the British Army, the Royal Air Force (RAF), and the Royal Navy (RN).
The air component was provided by Eurofighter Typhoon fighters and an A400M Atlas transport aircraft, operating from Mount Pleasant Complex air base, a key piece of infrastructure for British military power projection in the region.
Operations in South Georgia and logistical support
During the course of the exercise, HMS Forth sailed to the South Georgia Islands, located about 900 kilometers east of the Malvinas. Despite it being the austral summer, climatic and maritime conditions posed operational challenges, with water temperatures close to 6 °C and the frequent presence of icebergs due to proximity to Antarctica.
In addition to strictly military objectives, the operation included a civil support component. Royal Navy and British Army personnel worked with the South Georgia government to transport materials from Maiviken Cove to Grytviken, the territory’s main administrative settlement. The absence of road infrastructure required movement across mountainous terrain, through a joint effort between both forces.
With support from the local government and the British Antarctic Survey, the crew of HMS Forth disembarked in Grytviken, where they also visited the former whaling station and paid tribute at the grave of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Official statements on the exercise
The commanding officer of HMS Forth, Commander Grahame Graham-Flint, who assumed command of the ship in mid-December, highlighted the operational environment of South Georgia and noted that it is “one of the most spectacular places on the planet.” Regarding the activities carried out, he added: “We visited Possession Bay, anchored in Stromness Harbour, and stopped at King Edward Point, surrounded by icebergs, sea lions, and snow-covered mountains — a truly spectacular place.”
For his part, Brigadier Charlie Harmer explained the scope of the joint exercise and stated: “Southern Sovereignty allowed me to test our ability to project power across the entire Joint Operations Area and across the maritime, land, and air domains simultaneously.” In the same vein, he added: “While it reassures the population, it ultimately contributes to my mission to deter aggression in the South Atlantic Islands and demonstrates the sovereignty of the United Kingdom in action.”
A combined and enduring operation
Operation Southern Sovereignty falls within the periodic activities carried out by the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic, combining military training, logistical deployment, and operational presence in its overseas territories. HMS Forth, approaching six years of continuous operations from the Malvinas Islands, continues to be one of the main British naval platforms for this type of mission in the region.
*Images obtained from the Royal Navy.
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