The start of the 2025-2026 Antarctic summer season marks an unusual logistical and operational deployment by the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic and Antarctica, using Punta Arenas (Chile) as its main logistics hub.

Thus, the British base at Rothera has consolidated its air capability with the presence of five aircraft from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) , the UK's national polar research institute.

The unprecedented figure consists of a De Havilland Dash-7 medium transport aircraft (registration VP-FBQ ) and four Twin Otter twin -engine aircraft ( VP-FBC, VP-FBL, VP-FAZ and VP-FBB ), demonstrating an escalation in British activity in the Antarctic sector that Argentina claims with more than a century of presence.

The arrival of the fifth aircraft: The VP-FBB

The fleet was completed with the recent arrival of the fourth Twin Otter (registration VP-FBB) , which was recorded yesterday by Agenda Malvinas via www.flightradar24.com . This aircraft joined the operations after flying the Pacific route and making a stop in Puerto Montt before arriving in Punta Arenas around midday.

This deployment adds to the intense and coordinated air activity that Agenda Malvinas has been documenting since October 13, when the Dash 7 ( VP-FBQ ) and two Twin Otter ( VP-FBC and VP-FBL ) of the BAS took off from Punta Arenas heading south, turning off their transponders in the open sea and leaving their destination a question, which was finally confirmed as the Rothera base.

Subsequently, last Monday, the arrival of the third Twin Otter ( VP-FAZ) was recorded. This arrival followed a prolonged flight of 10 hours and 33 minutes, crossing Argentine continental and maritime territory, on its route from Montevideo (Uruguay) to Punta Arenas (Chile). The flight required a technical stop at a Patagonian airport for refueling due to the Twin Otter's limited range. This incident raised serious questions about the permits granted by the Argentine Foreign Ministry for the passage of a British aircraft bound for the disputed Antarctic sector, and the official silence of the Argentine government on the matter.

The maritime deployment under the "Malvinas Islands" flag

Alongside the consolidation of its air presence in Rothera, the United Kingdom is reinforcing its maritime presence . The British polar research vessel and icebreaker RRS Sir David Attenborough , also operated by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), has begun its 2025/2026 Antarctic campaign.

Currently, the ship is sailing a few miles from the port of Montevideo where it is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

The ship has a unique feature: it conspicuously flies the flag of the Malvina Islands . This gesture underscores the consolidation of the British presence in the region.

The Sir David Attenborough is scheduled to arrive tomorrow in Montevideo (Uruguay) and then use Punta Arenas (Chile) as a logistical support port.

Both the unprecedented air deployment of five aircraft in Rothera and the route and flag-raising of the scientific vessel confirm that the South Atlantic and Antarctica are once again the scene of geopolitical tensions , with the United Kingdom increasing its activity in the region and using the southern tip of the continent as a key logistical epicenter for its polar operations.