Christchurch invention the Mexeflote crucial to 17 Port and Maritime Regiment’s role in Exercise Austere Wolf in Albania

THEY were invented in Christchurch, have been serving the British army since 1960 and during the Falklands War delivered around 80% of the vehicles and equipment used in the conflict.

Powered landing raft the Mexeflote, used to transport goods and vehicles between ship to shore, will be crucial to the success of an exercise in Albania by the 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps.

Based at Marchwood Military Port, also known as Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre, the unit operates the Mexeflote and is currently preparing for the exercise.

Mexeflotes were designed by the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment (MEXE), a British defence research unit based on a site on the River Stour.

Incredibly versatile, a Mexeflote consists of a bow, stern, and centre which can be fitted together as required to act as a floating pontoon, or causeway from ship to shore.

The Mexeflote, which can transport up to 198 tonnes, guarantees vehicles and equipment can be transferred regardless of access to a pier or port.

As Capt Elliott Jordan, of the Royal Logistics Corps, told the A&T: “It means we can discharge at any place, at any time. We are the only Nato allies that can do that.”

Exercise Austere Wolf will involve the 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade establishing a sea port disembarkation on an isolated beach with no infrastructure. It is aimed at testing the British Army’s ship to shore capability.

Taking part will be the UK’s Strategic Reserve Force (SRF) comprising of a battlegroup of 400 plus personnel equipped with armoured and support vehicles.

Formed this year by the 1st Battalion The Royal Yorkshire Regiment, the SRF are due to travel to Kosovo as part of Operation Chelonia – a series of military exercises and deployments involving UK forces combining with Nato allies and partner nations across south-eastern Europe and the Balkan region.

As part of Exercise Austere Wolf, troops from the 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade will establish a beach head in the Pasha Liman area of Albania. Equipment and vehicles will then be transported to shore by the Mexeflote, operated by the Marchwood unit.

Capt Jordan said: “It is a quite challenging and complex exercise but exciting at the same time. The Mexeflote has to be built at sea in sea conditions and will take around eight hours. They are quite remarkable.

“They are pretty unsinkable. During the Falklands conflict, troops on them were often under fire and up to their knees in water, but the Mexeflotes did not capsize.”

During the Falklands War it is estimated that Mexeflotes transported over 80% of vehicles, equipment and supplies from ship to shore. In recent times the Mexeflote has been used for humanitarian missions including the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.

This week military vehicles and equipment bound for Albania were being loaded at Marchwood onto the Hartland Point roll-on-roll-off cargo ship.

The fleet of Land Rovers, trucks, field ambulances and Foxhound armoured vehicles were being loaded with military precision by, among others, Private Bertram Gordon.

He said: “It’s quite difficult as there are so many different vehicles. You have to focus constantly on getting them into a space with only a tiny amount of leeway either side.”

Once on board the vehicles are chained to the floor of the ship, so even in a storm they will hardly move. The journey to Albania will take around nine days.