MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Endurance to be loaded for trip to UK February 20th

Vessel Target will load HMS Endurance to Portsmouth

The process of returning the ill-fated Royal Navy Ice Patrol HMS Endurance to the United Kingdom for repair is expected to start at the end of February, according to reports from the radio station of the Falkland Islands where she is currently anchored.

The Royal Navy Command HQ took the decision last month to return HMS Endurancefrom the Falkland Islands to the UK and the current intention, subject to further assessment, is to repair her and return her to service. According to a military spokesperson, the process of finding contractors and negotiating a contract has necessarily taken time; however, a contract was placed with Dockwise on the 28th January for HMS Enduranceto be returned to the UK on a heavy lift ship. On current planning, the heavy repair ship Target should commence loading HMS Enduranceon the 20th February. It is anticipated that the journey should take about a month for the Target to arrive off Portsmouth, with the arrival expected on the 20th March. HMS Endurancesuffered an engine room flooding accident last December 16th when sailing west along the Magellan strait which left her without propulsion or energy. With help from the Chilean Navy the adrift Ice Patrol was recovered and towed initially to Punta Arenas and then to the Falklands. Investigations are continuing into the cause of the original flooding incident. Earlier in the week the Falkland Islands expressed satisfaction on the news that HMS Endurance would be refit since there were growing fears following news from Britain that the ship would be scrapped as part of Defence budget cuts. Councillor Mike Summers speaking for the Falklands' government said he was, "Absolutely delighted," to be able to report that a firm decision has been made that HMS Endurance will be repaired and will return to active duty in the South Atlantic. The RN Ice patrol was in fact due for a refit and this will be undertaken meaning she is unlikely to sail south in time for the next season; it may be that another vessel will take her place in the interim period. At the time when there were concerns about the future of the Ice patrol and her possible scrapping Councillor Summers commented that "?from our prospective that would be a very bad move indeed. We all know – the historians all know – the Foreign Office knows – the Navy knows what happened in 1982 when the wrong signals were sent to the Argentines about the withdrawal of the Endurance. And, we certainly would not want that sort of thing to happen again." HMS Endurance's mission is "To patrol and survey the Antarctic and South Atlantic, maintaining Sovereign Presence with Defence Diplomacy and supporting the global community of Antarctica". Picture by jseleyer@gmx.de – vesseltracker.com