The UK Royal Navy’s destroyer, HMS York, has successfully completed a seven-month deployment in the South Atlantic and returned home to Portsmouth Naval Base in UK.

During the deployment, the Type 42 destroyer patrolled the South Atlantic and intercepted vessels operating inside the disputed oil zone around the Falkland Islands.

HMS York also acted as a guard ship as exploratory oil rig Ocean Guardian arrived to begin the search for oil.

The destroyer participated in a joint exercise with its affiliated army regiment, Yorkshire Regiment, and members of the 1st Battalion.

Since its deployment in November 2009, the Portsmouth-based warship has visited ports including Gibraltar, the Cape Verde Islands, Brazil and the Canary Islands before arriving at the Falkland Islands in January 2010.