MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

HMS Endurance in Puerto Belgrano's dry dock

The Royal Navy's Ice Patrol Ship HMS Endurance is undergoing repairs in the dry dock of Argentine Navy's main base Puerto Belgrano where she arrived Friday afternoon.

Apparently during Antarctic duties the vessel suffered serious damage to its rudder system and given the sophistication of the equipment Captain Nick Lambert had to opt between having it repaired in Argentina or sail further north to Brazil.

Endurance was helped to her mooring berth by Argentine Navy tugs given the extent of the rudder's damage.

In Puerto Belgrano she was received by local naval authorities Captain Enirque Sarro and the British Naval Attaché in Buenos Aires Christopher John Haydon.

Argentine Navy sources revealed that the ice patrol ship will have to spend between one and three weeks in dry dock with a joint team of Argentina and British engineers, specially flown in for the repairs, working together.

Assistance to be provided to the British vessel "is in the framework of obligations established by the International Maritime Organization" which must be offered by Argentina and "executed, and under the control of the Argentine Navy", said an official release.

"This refers to safety in the sea, free navigation and support to any vessel from the national or international community sailing in the South Atlantic under the (Argentine) area of Search and Rescue responsibility".

HMS Endurance last January also visited for the first time since the South Atlantic conflict, Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego with Captain Lambert and the crew participating with Malvinas veterans in a joint memorial ceremony for the fallen in 1982.

HMS Endurance call had a big display in the Argentine press which highlighted it was the first time a British flagged vessel visited Puerto Belgrano since 1982 and also recalled that the Argentine garrison that had taken over South Georgia during the South Atlantic conflict later surrendered to the British Task Force in the Ice Patrol Ship which was also named Endurance.

The Ice Patrol was first moored to the frigate "Santisima Trinidad", which also actively participated in the Falkland Islands conflict.

Captain Lambert who invited the press to visit the icebreaker said he was grateful to the Argentine Navy hospitality and recalled "the warm welcome received by veterans last January in Ushuaia".

Icebreaker HMS Endurance built in Norway has a 6.000 tons displacement, is powered by two diesel engines and carries two Lynx helicopters. Her crew totals 118.

La Nacion reports that the decision to call into Puerto Belgrano was agreed between the Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry and the Foreign Office and described as an opportunity to underline the good moment of bilateral relations.