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Gibraltar Squadron

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Gibraltar Squadron
HMS Dagger at HM Naval Base, Gibraltar
Active28 August 1985 – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeSquadron
RoleMaritime security and Force Protection
Size1 Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), 2 Fast Patrol Boats, 3 Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBS), 1 diving support boat & 28 personnel (+ c. 34-50 assigned to the OPV)[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Garrison/HQPJOB Gibraltar/HQ British Forces Gibraltar
Websitewww.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/operations/mediterranean-and-black-sea/gibraltar-squadron Edit this at Wikidata
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt Cdr Simon Holden
Merlin HC3 of 846 NAS with former HMS Scimitar

The Gibraltar Squadron is a unit of the British Royal Navy. It is the only seagoing Royal Naval unit based in Gibraltar, attached to British Forces Gibraltar. It currently includes two Cutlass-class fast patrol boats with a maximum speed of up to 41-knots.[7][8] The squadron also uses three Pacific 24 rigid-hulled inflatable boats[9] and deploys one diving support boat (DSB Crabb, named for Royal Navy diver Lionel Crabb). The 2021 defence white paper indicated that henceforth, one River-class offshore patrol vessel, HMS Trent, would also be permanently based in Gibraltar for operations in the Mediterranean and in the Gulf of Guinea.[10] As of 2023, 28 personnel were assigned to the squadron, along with additional personnel assigned to HMS Trent.[11]

History

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England's capture of Gibraltar in 1704 provided an essential operating base for the Royal Navy at the entrance to the Mediterranean and led to the establishment of a strong naval presence in the territory. This permanent British fleet presence at Gibraltar was maintained in varied forms through the centuries until the rundown and abolition of the British Mediterranean Fleet in 1967. From the 1970s, the British naval presence in the region took on a more intermittent character, though Gibraltar remained important as a British naval staging base and was so used, for example, during the Falklands War in 1982. The importance of ensuring the security of Royal Navy facilities in Gibraltar was illustrated by the mooted but thwarted Argentine special forces Operation Algeciras which envisaged an attack on British ships using Gibraltar during the War.

Gibraltar remains an important staging base for the Royal Navy, for instance hosting some 79 ship visits during 2022. All told, between 12,000 and 14,000 British military personnel are said to transit through Gibraltar in any given year.[12] Gibraltar incorporates underground weapon storage facilities suitable for holding munition stocks that can be drawn on to replenish Royal Navy vessels. In 2024, HMS Diamond transitted to Gibraltar to replenish its stocks of Aster 15 and/or 30 missiles after operations in the Red Sea against Houthis rebels.[13]

The current Gibraltar Squadron, focused on the role of base and coastal security, was established on 28 August 1985 following the withdrawal of the RAF Marine Craft Unit No. 1102.[14] The two motor launches attached to the previous unit, HMAFV Sunderland and Stirling, remained however and were subsequently renamed HM ships Hart and Cormorant respectively.[14] Both vessels remained with the squadron until May 1991 when they were replaced by the new P2000 patrol boats HM Ships Ranger and Trumpeter. These in turn remained with the squadron until 2003.[14]

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, security arrangements for the squadron were enhanced and the unit received yet another new pair of patrol boats, HMS Sabre and HMS Scimitar, as well as three new RHIBs, in September 2002.[14] The unit has played host to nine URNU students each summer for a two-week acquaint, giving them experience of a front line unit.[15] In August 2011 the unit moved into its new facilities in the Old Boathouse on the Gibraltar waterfront. HM Ships Scimitar and Sabre, previously known as MV Grey Fox and MV Grey Wolf respectively, had previously served in Northern Ireland. The two boats were capable of 30 knots and were armed with two General Purpose Machine guns (GPMGs). They were deployed with the Gibraltar Squadron from 2002 until 2020, when they were replaced on an interim basis by the Archer-class boats, Dasher and Pursuer.

The Spanish Navy and Civil Guard regularly and repeatedly enter Gibraltar territorial waters and vessels of the squadron are routinely dispatched to intercept them.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] In April 2024, a patrol boat belonging to the Spanish Civil Guard crashed into runway lights adjacent to the runway at the Gibraltar airport after reportedly pursuing suspected smugglers into Gibraltar territorial waters. Despite serious damage, the boat managed to return to Spain.[24] The issue of sovereignty over Gibraltar has been a matter of contention between the United Kingdom and Spain since the territory first became a British colony and latterly an overseas territory.[25][26]

In 2012, the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government undertook a review of the facilities and services associated with British Forces in Gibraltar. The review, known as Project EUSTON, has established that the three service units (the Gibraltar Squadron, RAF Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Regiment) will remain whilst some facilities and services will be handed over to the civilian government.[27]

The naval dockyard at Gibraltar, used by visiting warships.

In July 2017 it was revealed that the squadron would receive two new warships which will be more "capable", "faster" and have "bigger guns", to replace HM Ships Sabre and Scimitar "within the next two years".[28] In June 2020, pending further news of the new-build vessels, HMS Dasher and HMS Pursuer, a pair of Archer class patrol boats previously attached to the Cyprus Squadron, were transported to Gibraltar to serve as interim replacements for Sabre and Scimitar.[29] In July 2020, a contract was signed between the MoD and Merseyside-based boat builder Marine Specialised Technology for the construction and delivery of two new boats for Gibraltar. The first boat arrived in Gibraltar in November 2021 and the second arrived in March 2022.[30][31] In May, 2022 the two Archer-class patrol boats, Dasher and Pursuer, departed Gibraltar and returned to the U.K.[32]

In April 2021, pursuant to a decision announced in the 2021 defence white paper, the 2000-tonne Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS Trent also arrived for permanent posting at Gibraltar.[33]

Current organisation

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HMS Trent on deployment to the Black Sea and Ukraine, May 2021

The current organisation of the squadron is as follows:

Marine services at the Port of Gibraltar, including for naval vessels using the port, are provided by Boluda Towage Europe. Boluda acquired Resolve Marine Group in February 2024,[49] which had previously been providing marine services at the port with one ASD ocean-going and harbour tug (Resolve Hercules), four harbour tugs (Rooke, Wellington, Egerton and Eliott), two barges (Isaac 1874 and RMG 280) as well as the anchor-handling tug Resolve Blizzard, which can provide regional firefighting, oil pollution and emergency response services.[50][51] Several of these assets were acquired by Boluda. In June 2024, Boluda strengthened its own presence at Gibraltar by adding the tugboat “VB Responder” to its fleet.[52]

Boathouse

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Since 2011 the Gibraltar Squadron has shared a headquarters and boathouse with the Marine Unit of the Gibraltar Defence Police. The boathouse accommodates the Navy's two patrol boats and three RHIBs, and the police's two patrol boats and two RHIBs.[53]

Mission

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According to the Royal Navy, the unit's mission is to:

"To contribute to the maritime defence and security of Gibraltar and, where necessary, the prosecution of offensive maritime operations in order to allow BFG to support military ops as directed by HMG."[54]

Based in a purpose-built headquarters in Gibraltar, the Squadron is operational throughout the year in order to meet its directive from Commander British Forces Gibraltar, with particular regard to the security and integrity of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). It is also responsible for the protection of British, NATO and allied warships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar or entering the naval base.[15] Uniquely for the Royal Navy, the Squadron is permanently assigned to the Operational Command of Commander Joint Operations.[9] The squadron is attached to the Portsmouth Flotilla and is one of several units permanently stationed overseas, including HMS Forth, HMS Medway, HMS Tamar, HMS Spey and the units assigned to operate from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Up close with the Royal Navy's new OPVs – HMS Medway". Navy Lookout. 28 June 2019.
  2. ^ "River Class | Royal Navy".
  3. ^ "River-Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, UK".
  4. ^ "Introducing the Royal Navy's new Offshore Patrol Vessels".
  5. ^ "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  6. ^ @NavyLookout (8 November 2024). "@NavyLookout.@RNGibSqn HMS Cutlass and HMS Dagger in company with Diving Support Boat off #Gibraltar this morning" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "HMS Cutlass, Gibraltar Squadron's new patrol boat, undergoes sea trials".
  8. ^ "BMT completes successfully trials for High-Speed Patrol Craft HMS Cutlass".
  9. ^ a b "Gibraltar Squadron - royalnavy.mod.uk". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  10. ^ "What the 2021 Integrated Review means to the Royal Navy ?". 23 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  13. ^ "HMS Diamond prepares to return to the Red Sea". Navy Lookout. 25 February 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d "Gibraltar Squadron celebrates 25-year anniversary - royalnavy.mod.uk". Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  15. ^ a b "HMS Charger unit diary - royalnavy.mod.uk". 5 August 2011. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  16. ^ "Royal Navy challenges incursion & escorts Spanish navy vessel out of BGTW". GBC. 13 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Spanish warship incursion into Gibraltar waters". GBC. 28 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Foreign Office to protest air incursion by Spanish Air Force plane".
  19. ^ @NavyLookout (21 April 2023). "@RNGibSqn escorting 🇪🇸Spanish corvette SPS Infanta Cristina making yet another illegal incursion into British #Gibraltar Waters" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 April 2023 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Spanish warship in illegal incursion into Gibraltar waters". 23 July 2022.
  21. ^ "Boris Johnson Faces a Gibraltar Crisis on His First Day Back at Work". Forbes.
  22. ^ "UK makes formal protest to Spain over Sunday incursion".
  23. ^ Zuloaga, J.M. (3 October 2023). "Nuevo incidente entre un barco de la Armada y otro de la Royal Navy en aguas españoles en Gibraltar". La Razon.
  24. ^ "Chief Minister in contact with Spanish government after Guardia Civil boat crashes into runway lights". GBC News. 11 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Gibraltar Tensions Rise Following 830 Spanish Incursions". 4 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Gibraltar Will Never Accept Shared Sovereignty".
  27. ^ "BFBS - 'Fox in talks on Rock's future military basing '". Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  28. ^ "Gibraltar Squadron to receive two new warships". GBC News. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  29. ^ "Patrol boats for the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron". Save the Royal Navy. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  30. ^ @NavyLookout (31 March 2022). "The second new @RNGibSqn patrol boat, HMS Dagger has been delivered to GibraltarVia @MODGibraltar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  31. ^ Allison, George (24 July 2020). "Gibraltar squadron to receive two new Fast Patrol Craft". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  32. ^ "Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron bid farewell to HMS Dasher & HMS Pursuer".
  33. ^ "HMS Trent arrives in Gibraltar, its new operating base".
  34. ^ Mackie, Colin (October 2020). "Royal Navy Senior Appointments, 1865–" (PDF). Colin Mackie's Website. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  35. ^ "FOI(A) regarding British Forces Gibraltar" (PDF). What do they know?. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  36. ^ "QHM Gibraltar". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  37. ^ Channon, Max (1 August 2019). "The Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron officially Rock!". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  38. ^ "All change at the top for Gibraltar Squadron | Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  39. ^ "FOI(A) regarding Forces overseas" (PDF). What do they know?. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  40. ^ "HMS Trent (P224) | Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  41. ^ Hartle, Lisa (31 March 2021). HMS Trent heads to Gibraltar for permanent role (Video). Forces News. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  42. ^ "Defence review will forge a growing Navy with expanding horizons". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  43. ^ "@key2med" on Twitter
  44. ^ @NavyLookout (31 March 2022). "The second new @RNGibSqn patrol boat, HMS Dagger has been delivered to GibraltarVia @MODGibraltar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  45. ^ "Gibraltar Squadron". Royal Navy. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  46. ^ "Gibraltar Clearance Divers Joint Training Exercise With Royal Moroccan Navy". YGTV. 20 November 2024.
  47. ^ "Sixth and final support boat delivered to Royal Navy diving group". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  48. ^ "SEA Class Marine Craft". Atlas Elektronik. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  49. ^ "Boluda acquires Resolve Fire and Salvage". Boluda Towage Europe. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  50. ^ "Tugs and Barges". Resolve Marine Services (Gibraltar). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  51. ^ "Resolving to Expand". Nautic Expo. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  52. ^ "Boluda strengthens its fleet in Gibraltar with a new boat". Boluda Towage Europe. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  53. ^ Details on the Royal Navy website.
  54. ^ "Gibraltar Squadron". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
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