Containerized cargo air drop in the Falkland Islands makes RAF history: pictures

It has been revealed that the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has successfully carried out one of the largest and most southerly Container Delivery System (CDS) air drops by the service in its history. Announced on April 22, 2025, and reported to have taken place earlier during the same month, the air drop was performed by specialist crews flying in one of the RAF’s Airbus A400M Atlas multipurpose aircraft. 

The Falkland Islands are a remote British territory located in the South Atlantic around 300 miles (480km) off the coast of South America. Launched from the Mount Pleasant RAF base, part of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI), the air drop took place in the vicinity of Goose Green on the island of East Falkland sometime between April 17 and 23, although the exact date has not been revealed by the RAF.

Dropping 24 pallets out of the open rear door of the A400M, which weighed approximately 900kg (409lbs) each, the consignment represented the largest cargo drop carried out by the RAF in recent years, and the largest drop carried out in the Falkland Islands from a single aircraft. 

Royal Air ForceCarried out by 1312 Flight, a part of 905 Expeditionary Air Wing based in the Falkland Islands, the special mission was supported by 47 Air Dispatch, Number 30 Squadron, and Number 70 Squadron, all on deployment from their home base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England.

According to an RAF statement, “the drop was conducted at a height of 3,000 feet (914m), something that is challenging to achieve within the UK, and has been valuable in providing proof of concept for large scale drops which could be used in support of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations.”

Royal Air ForceThe air drop was woven into a 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles (2RGR) exercise, who were tasked to support the 47AD Air Controller, maintaining communication with the A400M throughout the mission. 2RGR was tasked with the security and recovery of the dropped crates and worked alongside BFSAI’s MT and logistics assets. “Such participation of the Joint Services provided valuable training for both soldiers and aviators alike,” adds the RAF statement.

“This A400 air drop has shown what a great Whole Force training opportunity being stationed in the Falkland Islands presents for British Forces,” said Group Captain Adele Stratton, Deputy Commander of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands.

“We have received fantastic support from the whole local community, but especially the Goose Green Community and Royal Falkland Island Police, without whom it would not have been possible. This air drop was the culmination of a lot of hard work by personnel in the UK and here in the Falkland Islands, and it sets the benchmark for opportunities in the future.”

Royal Air ForceEntering operational service with the RAF in 2014, the A400M Atlas provides tactical airlift and strategic oversized lift capabilities and complements the RAF’s C-17 Globemaster fleet. The Atlas can carry a 37-tonne payload over 2,000nm to established and remote civilian and military airfields, and short unprepared or semi-prepared strips. Capable of operating at altitudes up to 40,000ft, the Atlas also offers impressive low-level capability, which makes it ideal for armed forces use. 

According to the RAF website, the Atlas can accommodate as many as 116 fully-equipped troops, vehicles, and helicopters, including a Chinook. Alternatively, it can carry mixed loads, including nine aircraft pallets and 54 passengers, or combinations of vehicles, pallets, and personnel, up to a payload of 37 tonnes.

Royal Air ForceLoads are delivered by parachute, gravity extraction from the aircraft’s rear ramp (or by landing. Paratroopers are dropped from the aircraft’s dedicated paratrooper side doors or the rear ramp. The Atlas is operated by two pilots and a Weapons Systems Operator.

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