Endurance Class Ice Patrol Ship 

The Royal Navy's Ice Patrol Ship Endurance was withdrawn from service under John Nott's notorious 1981 Defence Review. This action contributed to the Argentine belief that Britain was unwilling and unable to defend her possessions in the South Atlantic. After the Falkland Islands were retaken in 1982 the decision to scrap Endurance was reversed and she was scheduled to remain in service until the mid 1990s. However by the end of the 1980s she was over thirty years old and in 1989 she collided with an iceberg. This breached the hull and caused serious structural damage to the aging vessel and she was consequently subject to annual strucurtal inspections. The 1991 structural survey reveald that her hull was not sound enough for the forthcoming deployment to the Antartic, and Endurance was decommissioned. The government launched a survey of available shipping to cover her absence and identified the Swedish built Icebreaker, MV Polar Circle, as the most suitable vessel to undertake the 1991-1992 deployment. The ship was chartered for eight months and commissioned on November 21st 1991 as HMS Polar Circle. Following a successful deployment she was purchased outright by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 1992 and in October she was renamed Endurance in honour of her predessesor. She underwent a brief conversion for her new naval role, including the addition of hydrographic equipment and modifications to her hanger and flight deck to enable her to operate military helicopters.

Endurance displaces 6,604 tonnes and is approximately 91 metres long with a breadth of 17.9 metres and an 8.5 metre draught. She has a speed of 15 knots, a complement of 116 and usually carries a contingent of Royal Marines. Officially classed as an Icebreaker, her strengthened bow can break one metre thick ice at a speed of 3 knots. She has a flight deck and hanger and carries a Lynx helicopter. In order to be easily recognisable in frozen waters, particularly from the air, her hull is painted bright red and has earnt her the nickname of her predessesor- 'Red Plum'. Living conditions onboard are supposed to be excellent. The role of Endurance is to support British interests in the Antarctic, provide a permanent British naval presence in the South Atlantic and assist the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). She usually spends half a year in her Antarctic patrol grounds and the other half at Portsmouth, where she is based. In 1999 Endurance became the first warship refitted at Portsmouth for seven years.

Ship Details

Above: Endurance in frozen waters. © Crown Copyright.

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© Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. Last updated 29th October 2000. Disclaimer.