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New era of support for HMS Forth and the British Forces South Atlantic Islands
9 May 2025
Tucked away in the windswept South Atlantic, the Naval Engineering Falkland Islands (NEFI) team has consistently been an important supporting element of the Royal Navy’s operations in the region.
Marking a major change in their organisational structure, the former NEFI team has become part of Forward Support Unit (FSU) Archimedes.
This new structure realises many benefits by joining a Royal Navy engineering organisation that has global reach, enhanced resources, capabilities and expertise.
For HMS Forth, representing the Royal Navy’s forward deployed presence in the Falkland Islands, the benefits are immediate.
Under the FSU framework, support for the ship’s maintenance, repairs and upgrades is optimised. From defect repair to planned maintenance periods, HMS Forth’s engineering needs can now draw on a broader pool of knowledge and capability, ensuring she’ll remain best prepared for tasking.
Commander Will Jones, Commander of Operational Support in the Surface Flotilla, said: “The new team join the largest pool of shore-based engineers in the Royal Navy bringing valued expertise to the organisation whilst benefiting from increased resources enabling them to better deliver engineering support to ships.”
The FSU team’s day-to-day work remains challenging. With a small team, they continue to provide round-the-clock support overcoming the tough environment, where cold weather, rough seas and isolation are part of daily life.
Their role also extends beyond engineering as they are also guardians of the past, maintaining the war memorials scattered across the islands — silent reminders of the Falklands Conflict of 1982.
From the cairn marking the loss of HMS Coventry on Pebble Island to the remote memorial for HMS Sheffield on Sea Lion Island, the team works hard to preserve these sites against the ravages of time and weather.
Now, with the added support and structure brought by the FSU, the team is stronger than ever — ready to face the future, while honouring the past.