By . Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent . Last updated at 12:57 PM on 11th November 2011 . Prince William will undertake a six-week tour of duty in the Falkland Islands early next year, the 30th anniversary of the conflict. The future king, an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, will fly to the South Atlantic in February for the posting without his new wife. The timing of William’s deployment is hugely sensitive and is certain to antagonise the Argentinan government, which continues to assert a territorial claim to the islands despite defeat at the hands of British forces in 1982. Keen to go: Prince William at the controls of a Sea King helicopter, which he will be co-piloting on a six-week tour of the Falklands early next year . Talked at length: The Prince and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, pictured on a visit to a UNICEF centre in Copenhagen on November 2, will be apart for nearly two months. But she is said to be very supportive . Two years ago Argentina's foreign . minister, Jorge Taina, condemned suggestions the prince would be posted, . saying: ‘This only serves to once again highlight Britain's ongoing . military presence in land and sea areas that are part of the Argentine . Republic's national territories.’ William, referred to in the RAF as Flight Lieutenant Wales, has always made clear, however, he is keen to go. According to sources, the prince does not want to be singled out for any special treatment and the posting will, significantly, count towards his bid for promotion to captain. He is currently working as a Sea King co-pilot. He has also discussed the issue with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, as it will be the longest they have ever been apart. Kate, though, considers herself ‘very much a military wife’ and is said to have been ‘overwhelmingly supportive’ of his decision. For his part the prince is said to be looking forward to the posting. ‘He just wants to get on with his job,’ a source said. The Ministry of Defence was at pains to stress last night that this was very much a ‘routine deployment’ - although it will, conveniently, allow the prince to be back in the country well before the actual anniversary of Argentina’s invasion, on April 2, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June. A spokesman further insisted that the decision to send the prince, who will be one of a crew of four sent from RAF Valley on Anglesey, North Wales, was one taken solely by his RAF chain of command. In a statement the department said: ‘The RAF can confirm that Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) William Wales, Search and Rescue Co-pilot, 22 Squadron, RAF Valley will complete a routine deployment to the Falkland Islands as part of a crew of four RAF personnel during the period February – March 2012. ‘This deployment forms part of a normal squadron crew rotation and will form part of Flt Lt Wales’ training and career progression as a Search and Rescue pilot within the RAF.’ Victory: British soldiers fly the Union flag over port Howard, West Falkland, on June 16, 1982. Simultaneously, another flies in the islands' capital Port Stanley, signifying the end of the Falklands conflict . In the family: Prince Andrew grins broadly at Port Stanley in his capacity as a Sea King pilot during the conflict. He opened RAF Mount Pleasant, where Prince William will be based, in 1985 . Defeat: Argentine prisoners of war amassed in Port Stanley after their surrender to the British Falkland Islands Task Force. Prince Willliam will be deployed there on the 30th anniversary of the war . They also stressed that the prince would not be carrying out any royal duties while he was there. The spokesman added: ‘Flt Lt Wales is one of 38,000 RAF personnel, all of whom are regularly and routinely deployed abroad. It is part of the job A six week deployment to the Falklands is conventional for such pilots at this stage of their career.’ The Foreign and Commonwealth Office insisted it was simply co-incidence that the prince was being deployed during the 30th anniversary of the war. ‘It is a routine deployment and just so happens to fall in the 30th anniversary. It was not planned in any way. Obviously we value our relationship with Argentina and these things are taken into consideration but it is simply that the deployment rotation has fallen in this way,’ a spokesman said. Two RAF Search and Rescue (SAR) crews are based in the Falklands at any one time and pilots routinely deploy on a rolling basis as part of their training and career development. Provocative: The Prince's deployment may be seen as antagonistic, but David Cameron says sovereignty of the islands is non-negotiable . A SAR crew consists of two pilots, a winch/radar operator and a winchman. The team provides 24-hour cover and support for British forces in the region as well as providing an extra rescue and life-saving facility for islanders and shipping in the area. William will travel to the British sovereignty 8,000 miles away in early February – just after his wife’s 30th birthday – and return to the UK in March. RAF Mount Pleasant, where he will be based, was opened in 1985 by the Duke of York, who was famously a Sea King pilot in the 1982 war. Andrew was based on Invincible flying on missions that included anti-submarine warfare and casualty evacuation. He witnessed the Argentinian attack on the civilian container ship, SS ‘Atlantic Conveyor’ and was one of the first to take off survivors. Mount Pleasant, 30 miles south west of the islands' capital, Port Stanley, is home to up to 2,000 British military personnel. Conditions are said to be ‘bleak’ and the base has been dubbed ‘the death star’ due to its confusing layout. The prince will have to take his own toilet roll and be prepared for plagues of mice and mites in his living quarters. His accommodation will be furnished with a simple single bed and shared bathroom facilities. William will be advised to take plenty of warm clothing as the islands can experience ‘all four seasons in just one day’ and shoes in good repair because there are no cobblers. The base does have a range of sporting activities to alleviate boredom, but the golf course in Port Stanley has no greens and players need to negotiate a mine field. Mail normally arrives twice a week and the Duchess will have to write ‘blueys’, like other forces’ wives.
Prince will fly out in January after spending Christmas with the Duchess of Cambridge .
Longest time newlyweds would have been apart .
Kate said to be very supportive of deployment .
William will co-pilot Sea King helicopter on rescue missions .
Conditions on island 'bleak' but military base does have sporting facilities .
By . Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent . Last updated at 12:57 PM on 11th November 2011 . Prince William will undertake a six-week tour of duty in the Falkland Islands early next year, the 30th anniversary of the conflict. The future king, an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, will fly to the South Atlantic in February for the posting without his new wife. The timing of William’s deployment is hugely sensitive and is certain to antagonise the Argentinan government, which continues to assert a territorial claim to the islands despite defeat at the hands of British forces in 1982. Keen to go: Prince William at the controls of a Sea King helicopter, which he will be co-piloting on a six-week tour of the Falklands early next year . Talked at length: The Prince and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, pictured on a visit to a UNICEF centre in Copenhagen on November 2, will be apart for nearly two months. But she is said to be very supportive . Two years ago Argentina's foreign . minister, Jorge Taina, condemned suggestions the prince would be posted, . saying: ‘This only serves to once again highlight Britain's ongoing . military presence in land and sea areas that are part of the Argentine . Republic's national territories.’ William, referred to in the RAF as Flight Lieutenant Wales, has always made clear, however, he is keen to go. According to sources, the prince does not want to be singled out for any special treatment and the posting will, significantly, count towards his bid for promotion to captain. He is currently working as a Sea King co-pilot. He has also discussed the issue with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, as it will be the longest they have ever been apart. Kate, though, considers herself ‘very much a military wife’ and is said to have been ‘overwhelmingly supportive’ of his decision. For his part the prince is said to be looking forward to the posting. ‘He just wants to get on with his job,’ a source said. The Ministry of Defence was at pains to stress last night that this was very much a ‘routine deployment’ - although it will, conveniently, allow the prince to be back in the country well before the actual anniversary of Argentina’s invasion, on April 2, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June. A spokesman further insisted that the decision to send the prince, who will be one of a crew of four sent from RAF Valley on Anglesey, North Wales, was one taken solely by his RAF chain of command. In a statement the department said: ‘The RAF can confirm that Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) William Wales, Search and Rescue Co-pilot, 22 Squadron, RAF Valley will complete a routine deployment to the Falkland Islands as part of a crew of four RAF personnel during the period February – March 2012. ‘This deployment forms part of a normal squadron crew rotation and will form part of Flt Lt Wales’ training and career progression as a Search and Rescue pilot within the RAF.’ Victory: British soldiers fly the Union flag over port Howard, West Falkland, on June 16, 1982. Simultaneously, another flies in the islands' capital Port Stanley, signifying the end of the Falklands conflict . In the family: Prince Andrew grins broadly at Port Stanley in his capacity as a Sea King pilot during the conflict. He opened RAF Mount Pleasant, where Prince William will be based, in 1985 . Defeat: Argentine prisoners of war amassed in Port Stanley after their surrender to the British Falkland Islands Task Force. Prince Willliam will be deployed there on the 30th anniversary of the war . They also stressed that the prince would not be carrying out any royal duties while he was there. The spokesman added: ‘Flt Lt Wales is one of 38,000 RAF personnel, all of whom are regularly and routinely deployed abroad. It is part of the job A six week deployment to the Falklands is conventional for such pilots at this stage of their career.’ The Foreign and Commonwealth Office insisted it was simply co-incidence that the prince was being deployed during the 30th anniversary of the war. ‘It is a routine deployment and just so happens to fall in the 30th anniversary. It was not planned in any way. Obviously we value our relationship with Argentina and these things are taken into consideration but it is simply that the deployment rotation has fallen in this way,’ a spokesman said. Two RAF Search and Rescue (SAR) crews are based in the Falklands at any one time and pilots routinely deploy on a rolling basis as part of their training and career development. Provocative: The Prince's deployment may be seen as antagonistic, but David Cameron says sovereignty of the islands is non-negotiable . A SAR crew consists of two pilots, a winch/radar operator and a winchman. The team provides 24-hour cover and support for British forces in the region as well as providing an extra rescue and life-saving facility for islanders and shipping in the area. William will travel to the British sovereignty 8,000 miles away in early February – just after his wife’s 30th birthday – and return to the UK in March. RAF Mount Pleasant, where he will be based, was opened in 1985 by the Duke of York, who was famously a Sea King pilot in the 1982 war. Andrew was based on Invincible flying on missions that included anti-submarine warfare and casualty evacuation. He witnessed the Argentinian attack on the civilian container ship, SS ‘Atlantic Conveyor’ and was one of the first to take off survivors. Mount Pleasant, 30 miles south west of the islands' capital, Port Stanley, is home to up to 2,000 British military personnel. Conditions are said to be ‘bleak’ and the base has been dubbed ‘the death star’ due to its confusing layout. The prince will have to take his own toilet roll and be prepared for plagues of mice and mites in his living quarters. His accommodation will be furnished with a simple single bed and shared bathroom facilities. William will be advised to take plenty of warm clothing as the islands can experience ‘all four seasons in just one day’ and shoes in good repair because there are no cobblers. The base does have a range of sporting activities to alleviate boredom, but the golf course in Port Stanley has no greens and players need to negotiate a mine field. Mail normally arrives twice a week and the Duchess will have to write ‘blueys’, like other forces’ wives.
controls of a Sea King helicopter, which he will Prince and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, nearly two months. But she is said to be very military wife’ and is said to have been ‘overwhelmingly supportive’ of his decision. For bathroom facilities. William will be advised to cobblers. The base does have a range of sporting