As part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS), a group
of MPs and peers were received at the Mount Pleasant Complex
(MPC) for four days.
The visitors spent time with soldiers, sailors, and aviators at
the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) base, which is
administered by Strategic Command, to better understand the
issues that affect the Armed Forces community.
The trip started off with a tour of a Royal Navy vessel, HMS Medway, where the group
met the Ship’s Company.
Next, they spent some time with the newly-arrived Roulement
Infantry Company, provided by the British Army’s 1st Battalion
Scots
Guards, on the Onion Ranges training area.
There the group observed virtual and live firing demonstrations
using rifles and pistols, before spending a night under the stars
to try out night vision devices.
Close to the heart of any Scots Guardsman, a battlefield study of
Mount Tumbledown saw the party given an overview of the famous
1982 battle.
Next on the agenda was a trip to the RAF’s 1435 (Typhoon) Flight,
where they were shown around one of the fighter aircraft
permanently stationed at MPC; the RAF then flew the group over
the islands on an A400M Atlas transport.
The party was also shown the Resident Sky Sabre Battery (RSSB),
the British Army’s newest air defence system, at Poon Hill and
observed the Bristow Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters which
work alongside the military.
A meeting with local dignitaries in the territory’s capital,
Stanley, concluded the AFPS visit to the Falklands and the
hosting service personnel can reflect on a job well done.
