RAF Mount Pleasant
RAF Mount Pleasant Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Airport type | Public/Military | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Location | East Falkland Falkland Islands | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 243 ft / 74 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°49′22″S 058°26′50″W / 51.82278°S 58.44722°W | ||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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RAF Mount Pleasant (IATA: MPN, ICAO: EGYP) (also known as Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant Complex or MPA)[1] is a military base for the Royal Air Force in the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The facility is part of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI). The station, home to between 1,000 and 2,000 British military personnel, is located about 30 miles (48 km) miles southwest of Stanley—the capital of the Falklands—on the island of East Falkland. The world's longest corridor,[clarification needed] half a mile (800 m) long, links the barracks, messes and recreational and welfare areas of the base.[2]
The base is occasionally referred to by its residents as the 'Death Star' because of its sometimes confusing layout.[3]
History
RAF Mount Pleasant is the most recent purpose-built permanent airfield in the Royal Air Force.[4] The RAF previously had a small base at Stanley airfield after the end of the hostilities in 1982. During the Falklands War when the islands were occupied by Argentine military forces, British aircraft were sent to disable the runway with RAF Strike Command Vulcan bombers (Operation Black Buck) and Royal Navy Sea Harriers. The raids were moderately successful, and on the first Black Buck mission one 1,000-pound (450 kg) bomb hit the runway in the middle, disabling it. However, temporary repairs by the Argentines did allow C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to bring in supplies and take out casualties until the end of the conflict. After the end of hostilities the runway was fully repaired by British military engineers.
After the surrender of the Argentine ground forces on the islands, the British still faced the problem of potential Argentine air attacks from the Argentine homeland, so an aircraft carrier had to remain on station to guard the islands with its squadron of Sea Harriers until the local airfield was prepared for jet aircraft. HMS Hermes was the first to take guard duty, whilst HMS Invincible went north to change (at sea) a main engine.[5] Invincible then returned to relieve Hermes which urgently needed to return to the UK for boiler cleaning. Invincible returned until she was relieved by the newly built HMS Illustrious, which was quickly rushed south and commissioned during the journey. Once the Port Stanley runway was available for jets, Illustrious was relieved by 4x RAF Phantom FGR.2 (named ‘Faith’. ‘Hope’, Charity’ and ‘Desperation’ by the crews - the first three named after the three Gloster Gladiators that according to legend was the name of the three RAF fighters defending Malta in the Second World War).
The British government felt that Stanley airfield was not the best option for a large, permanent base and decided to construct a new RAF station and make it the centrepiece of considerably strengthened air defences for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. This was intended to deter any future Argentine attempts to take the islands by force. Mount Pleasant, to the west of Stanley, was chosen as the site for the new station. The airfield was opened by Prince Andrew (who served in the Falklands War) in 1985, and became fully operational in 1986.[6]
Flights of Phantoms were rotated through the base until 1988 when they were replaced with Tornado F.3s. The Tornado was replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon in September 2009. These have been supported throughout by Lockheed Hercules C.1s and (since 1996) Vickers VC10 C.1s equipped for aerial refuelling, transport, search and rescue and maritime patrol.
A flight of Westland Sea King helicopters for support and search and rescue has been based at Mount Pleasant since November 2007.
Current equipment
RAF Mount Pleasant has a wide range of social and sporting facilities including a gym, swimming pool, golf course, diving centre, karting, laserquest, library, cinema, bowling, climbing wall and indoor and outdoor sports pitches. As of August 2010 it has the only cricket ground in the Falklands. There are two NAAFI shops, hairdressers, a medical centre, and an education centre on the base. BFBS Radio also maintains a live local station on the site. There is also a complex that includes a café and a small shop (RONOKEs), which are both owned and run by the Falkland Islands Company.[7]
Currently based at Mount Pleasant are No. 905 Expeditionary Air Wing, No. 1435 Flight with four Eurofighter Typhoons, No. 1312 Flight, with a single VC10 tanker and one Hercules, as well as No.1564 Flight (since November 2007) with 2 Sea King helicopters maintained by SKIOS (Sea King Integrated Operational Support), an aeronautical engineering collaboration between AgustaWestland and VT Aerospace. There are also 2 Sikorsky S-61 civilian Helicopters run by British International Helicopters Limited (Brintel). Ground units include No 7, 303, and 751 Signals Units and a Rapier detachment from the Royal Artillery. This was previously handled by the RAF Regiment but the RA now have sole responsibility for operating the Rapier.
33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) provides constant support and is part of the Joint Service Falkland Islands Detachment which consists of RAF and RLC EOD teams. It is mainly based in Stanley but there is also a detachment at Mount Pleasant. The group's role is to destroy unexploded munitions from the Falklands War; to brief troops, tourists and citizens on which areas are safe; and to mark uncleared minefields.[8]
There is also a Joint Communications Unit (JCU) providing the electronic warfare and command and control systems for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.[9]
On 10 November 2011, it was announced that Prince William would be serving as a Sea King pilot on the base for six weeks during February and March 2012.[10]
Operational units
- No. 1435 Flight
- No. 1312 Flight
- No. 1564 Flight
- SKIOS
- Royal Artillery Detachment
- 61 Field Squadron part of 33 Engineer Regiment
- 303 Signal Unit
- Joint Communications Unit
Airlines and destinations
Using the IATA airport code MPN, RAF Mount Pleasant also acts as the Falkland Islands' only international airport, along with its military role. Flights open to civilian passengers are operated twice each week. Starting in autumn 2008[11] these flights were operated by a civilian airline, Flyglobespan, on behalf of the Royal Air Force; after Flyglobespan went bankrupt in 2009, the flights have been temporarily operated by Air Tahiti Nui, Titan Airways and Air Seychelles.[12] They fly to and from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, with a refuelling stop at RAF Ascension Island in the south-central Atlantic Ocean. These flights currently use Boeing 767 aircraft although occasionally an RAF Lockheed TriStar freight aircraft or an Antonov An-225 bring in large items of freight.
Additionally, every Saturday LAN Airlines operates a scheduled commercial flight to the city of Punta Arenas in southern Chile, stopping at Río Gallegos, Argentina once a month.
Scheduled
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Hi Fly | London-Gatwick [via Sal] |
| LAN Airlines | Punta Arenas, Río Gallegos, Santiago |
Unscheduled
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Titan Airways | Ascension Island, Brize Norton |
| FIGAS | Stanley and other settlements on the Falklands |
See also
- RAF station
- List of RAF stations
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
- Military of the Falkland Islands
- Mare Harbour
Sources
- ^ Falkland Islands Information Portal
- ^ Obituary of former commander, British Forces, Falkland Islands, Brig. David Nicholls.
- ^ Clench, James (17 May 2010). "Falklands 'Death Star' job for Wills". The Sun. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ Royal Air Force
- ^ British Task Force returns to UK - Falklands War 1982
- ^ Falkland Islands Government
- ^ Falkland Islands HIVE
- ^ Royal Engineers
- ^ Royal Corps of Signals
- ^ "Prince William to go to Falklands next year". The Guardian. 10 November 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ http://www.sartma.com/art_5661.html
- ^ http://www.falklands.gov.fk/news/2010/01/airbridge-flights/
External links
- World Aero Data - RAF Mount Pleasant
- James Rogers and Luis Simón. The Status and Location of the Military Installations of the Member States of the European Union and Their Potential Role for the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Brussels: European Parliament, 2009. 25 pp.
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