MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

HMS Edinburgh returns to Portsmouth after Falklands' patrol

HMS Edimburg returned home (Crown Copyright/MOD 2007)

Portsmouth-based warship HMS Edinburgh returned home on Friday after nine months on patrol around the Falkland Islands.

The Type 42 destroyer left her home port in September but since February has been manned by the crew of HMS Exeter as part of the Royal Navy's sea swap trial. Once in theatre ship visited the various settlements around the Falkland Islands to provide a maritime presence to protect the UK's interests in the region. Edinburgh played a lead role in commemorations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Falklands war. Crew members attended various services to mark the beginning and end of the conflict and to remember those who lost their lives on both sides. The commemorations were particularly poignant to five ship's company who took part in the conflict – Lt Cdr Pete Broadbent, Warrant Officer Pat White, and Chief Petty Officers Blood Reid, Porky Annison and Graham Clark. Patrols included visits to South Georgia and Montevideo and on her way home she paid goodwill visits to Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza and Tenerife. The ship arrived into Portsmouth at 10.30am and was met by families and friends to the music of The Royal Marines Band. Her Commanding Officer, Commander Paul Brown, said: "This has been a deployment with a difference. The sea swap trial is just one element of a wider trial which aims make the best use of our available resources. "We are all absolutely delighted to be home and the focus is now swapping back to our respective ships and then taking some well deserved leave with our loved ones". HMS Edinburgh was replaced by HMS Southampton which left Portsmouth on 23 April for her eight month deployment on patrol in the South Atlantic. En route to the Falklands she passed through the Panama Canal and took part in Teamwork South, a multinational maritime exercise hosted by the Chilean Navy. After several visits to Chile the ship passed through the Patagonian Canals and Straits of Magellan, stopping at Punta Arenas, before arriving off the Falklands at the end of June. HMS Southampton remains on station in the Falkland Islands until the end of October.