Outraged officials from the South American state reacted furiously to the presence of HMS Forth in the contested waters of the south Atlantic.

The new 2,000-tonne patrol ship arrived at the Falkland Islands at the beginning of the year and last week made the 850-mile trip to the remote archipelago of South Georgia for the first time.

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HMS Forth and its personnel as well as guests from Mount Pleasant Complex in the Falkland Islands arrive in South Georgia as part of routine patrols in the South Atlantic. Photo: MoD

But the ship – and her 60-strong crew’s presence – has reignited a long-standing war of words over who controls the region, which is a British territory.

Andres Dachary, secretary of the Malvinas, Antarctica and Islands of the South Atlantic of Tierra del Fuego condemned the UK’s military presence, claiming it was a ‘clear violation’ of the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic and questioned why Britain was deploying vessels in the area during the coronavirus outbreak.

But Admiral Lord Alan West has accused the Argentine government of playing a hypocritical ‘sabre rattling’ game.

Speaking to The News today, the former top sailor – whose ship, HMS Ardent, was sunk during the fight to reclaim the islands from Argentina after they were invaded in 1982 – said: ‘The bottom line is that if they want to have peace and stability in the region, which they’re talking about, then the way to achieve it is to not sabre rattle.

Admiral Lord Alan West, a former head of the Royal Navy and Falklands War veteran, has lashed out over claims a Portsmouth ship had violated a peace deal in the south Atlantic.

‘It was the Argentinian, unprovoked invasion of a peaceful nation in 1982 that caused that problem in the region.

‘They’re the ones who are guilty of not going for peace and security in the region. This is just politicking within the Argentine, which is always very dangerous and unnecessary, particularly at this time of Covid-19.

‘There are more important things in the world. They ought to just wind their necks in, keep quiet and let things move forward in a nice, peaceful way.’

Mr Dachary claimed he represented ‘the voice of the people in Tierra del Fuego’ which ‘no longer accepts the passivity demonstrated by previous administrations’.

HMS Forth arrives on a chilly morning at South Georgia for the first time. Photo: MoD

Speaking of HMS Forth’s arrival, he said: ‘It is extremely worrying that this occurs in these moments of health emergency that the planet is experiencing.

‘The countries, more than ever, are betting on cooperative actions.

‘However, the United Kingdom uses this moment to show its military power in the south Atlantic, in addition to hinting at the role that it assigns the islands of the south Atlantic as a gateway to Antarctica.’

HMS Forth is the first of the navy’s new, more advanced, second generation River-class offshore patrol ships, which are larger and better equipped than its predecessors.

Speaking of her role, a statement on the navy’s website said: ‘Her remit is to protect our nation’s interests at sea, whether that means safeguarding fishing stocks in UK waters, or offering reassurance and protection in the Falklands.

‘She also has a flight deck and is armed with an array of weaponry, meaning she can support a range of operations, from counter-piracy to anti-smuggling.’

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