Falklands, end of active service for RFA Argus, last ship to have served in the conflict
Italian-built vessel, originally launched as the container ship MV Contender Bezant, was requisitioned during the 1982 Falklands War and purchased outright in 1984.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus will depart Portsmouth naval base this Monday 23 February for the final time, bringing more than four decades of service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to a close, the Royal Navy has confirmed. Her departure marks the end of service for the last active ship to have served in the Falklands conflict, pointed out UKDJ.
The Italian-built vessel, originally launched as the container ship MV Contender Bezant, was requisitioned during the 1982 Falklands War and purchased outright in 1984. Following conversion, she entered service as an Aviation Training Ship before later assuming the role of Primary Casualty Receiving Ship (PCRS).
During the 1991 Gulf War, RFA Argus was fitted with a fully functional hospital facility. In 2009, the PCRS role became her primary function. In this capacity, the ship has provided Role 3 medical support, alongside aviation training and operational support functions.
The Royal Navy has also deployed RFA Argus in humanitarian assistance missions, where her medical and aviation capabilities proved suited to disaster relief operations. Although often described as a support ship or helicopter carrier, she is not formally classified as a hospital ship under the Geneva Convention, as she is armed and does not carry protected markings.
With a displacement of over 28,000 tonnes and a flight deck capable of operating multiple Merlin, Chinook, Apache or Wildcat helicopters, RFA Argus has supported maritime aviation training and Littoral Response Group operations in recent years.
However, by 2025 the vessel had been deemed unsafe to sail and effectively laid up. Throughout her career, Argus has sailed globally in support of Royal Navy operations, combining aviation training, medical capability and operational support within a single adaptable platform.
