At one point slated for decommissioning under terms of the 1981 Defence White Paper, she was rapidly returned to service to sail as part of the British operation to retake the Falkland Islands after the Argentine invasion in 1982.

She landed troops in amphibious assaults on the Islands and the Argentine surrender was signed on her deck at the conclusion of the Falklands War.

The LPDs were intended to provide both a heavy lift for amphibious operations and to support a one star (Brigade) Headquarters afloat.

Force controlled twenty helicopters, eight landing craft, 650 troops, and assisted international and civilian rescue teams distributing supplies.

[citation needed] As a result of defence cuts, Intrepid went into reserve in 1976, being brought back into active service in 1979 to allow Fearless to be refitted.

[7] Intrepid was rapidly brought back into commission, with her ship's company recalled by Commander Bryn Telfer (the Executive Officer), and Malcolm MacLeod, the crew gladly returned to form part of the task group committed to Operation Corporate, the British effort to recapture the islands.

[8] As well as being one of the warships used for imprisoning the Argentine prisoners of war, the surrender ending the Falklands conflict was signed on Intrepid's deck.

During a three to four-month period, each entry of Artificers would spend a week working in each department aboard in order to learn more about the other trades in the Royal Navy.

Intrepid was in poor physical condition by this time, which prevented a similar upgrade, and was laid up at HM Naval Base Portsmouth.

[12] Having received the required planning permission and environmental licences for disposal, Intrepid left Portsmouth for her final journey to Liverpool on 13 September 2008.

Having been previously suggested as potential diving site on the south coast, various veterans of the Falklands War started a petition on the 10 Downing Street website to preserve the ship as a memorial to the conflict.