Prince William starts Falklands deployment

Prince William is getting down to work as a search-and-rescue pilot in the Falkland Islands.

Britain's Ministry of Defence on Saturday released the first photographs of William, known in the service as Flight Lt. Wales, on duty for his six-week deployment to the islands.

One image shows him at the controls of a yellow Sea King helicopter, another consulting maps with a colleague.

William's visit has angered Argentina, which claims the islands 460 kilometres off its coast and refers to them as Las Malvinas, and contributed to growing tension between Britain and Argentina in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of Argentina's April 1982 invasion.

The 10-week war that followed ended in British victory and killed 650 Argentine troops and more than 250 British personnel.