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British Forces Gibraltar

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British Forces Gibraltar
British Forces Tri-Service badge
ActiveApril 1992–current
Flag Officer, Gibraltar, 1946-1992
CountryGibraltar
BranchStrategic Command[1]
Part ofStrategic Command. Subordinate to Director of Overseas Bases.
HeadquartersDevil's Tower Camp
AnniversariesBattle of Trafalgar
Commanders
Commander of British Forces GibraltarCommodore Tom Guy
Commanding Officer, Royal Gibraltar RegimentLieutenant Colonel Matthew Moore
Commanding Officer, Gibraltar SquadronLieutenant Commander Simon Holden
Commanding RAF GibraltarWing Commander Jackson Brown MBE RAF

British Forces Gibraltar constitute those elements of the British Armed Forces stationed in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is used primarily as a training area, thanks to its good climate and rocky terrain, and as a stopover for aircraft and ships en route to and from deployments East of Suez or in Africa.

British Forces Gibraltar as a formation was established in mid-1992 after the last Royal Navy-lead commander, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Biggs, Flag Officer Gibraltar, hauled down his flag. Thereafter the new command took on a more tri-service character.

History

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Entrance to HMS Rooke at Queensway, Gibraltar – headquarters of Gibraltar Defence Police.

British Armed Forces in Gibraltar had been predominantly naval-led since the 1890s. In the 1950s discussions about the creation of NATO's Allied Forces Mediterranean led to the Flag Officer Gibraltar being placed in command of NATO forces in the area.[2]

However, many years later, the British Royal Navy captain serving as Head of Sea Section in Operations Division, SHAPE, was to have to deal with the re-absorption of Spain into NATO in the early 1990s. Arranging the NATO-Spain-Gibraltar-UK linkages involved "delicate negotiations," but British plans, to Captain Peter Melson's knowledge "committed no forces to defence of the Strait, while Spain was willing to commit substantial elements of their ORBAT [order of battle, their armed forces]."[3]

The last UK based army battalion, 3rd Battalion Royal Green Jackets, left Gibraltar in 1991 and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment took charge of local defence under the new headquarters British Forces Gibraltar.[4]

Command

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The commander of British Forces Gibraltar is Commodore Tom Guy of the Royal Navy, who was appointed in June 2022.[5]

British Forces Gibraltar reports to the Director of Overseas Bases within Strategic Command, who is responsible for the command, direction and support of UK’s overseas bases.[6]

All MOD establishments in Gibraltar are operated by Strategic Command, with each of the separate armed forces using the facilities.[7]

Facilities

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Devil's Tower Camp

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The Royal Gibraltar Regiment of the British Army is based at Devil's Tower Camp.[8] The regiment is a mixed infantry-focused unit, with 235 personnel as of 2023.[9]

HM Dockyard, Gibraltar

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HM Dockyard, Gibraltar was active from 1895 to 1984. The dockyard was used extensively by the Royal Navy, docking many of the Navy's most prestigious ships. In the early 1980s a decision by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence to cut back the Royal Navy surface fleet meant that the dockyard was no longer financially viable.[10]

In 1984 the dockyard passed into the hands of the UK ship repair and conversion company, A&P Group.[11] The takeover of the former naval dockyard at Gibraltar as "Gibrepair" in 1985 was short-lived, a victim of local social politics.[12]

The current dockyard is still used by the Royal Navy and is referred to as 'His Majesty's Naval Base Gibraltar (HMNB Gibraltar)'.[1]

The base is the permanent home to the Royal Navy's Gibraltar Squadron, equipped with two Cutlass-class patrol vessels and three Pacific 24 rigid inflatable boats.[13] They are supported by diving platforms and harbour work boats. The base is also home to the offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent.[14] Gibraltar regularly hosts other British or allied warships and support vessels.[7]

The Gibraltar Defence Police (GDP) has it headquarters at North Gate House, located within HMNB Gibraltar. GDP is a civilian police force which is part of the MOD. As of 2023 it had 100 officers.[15] The GDP operates two patrol boats and rigid inflatable boats.[7]

RAF Gibraltar

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Main article: RAF Gibraltar
A Royal Air Force A400M Atlas C1 and Gibraltar Defence Police vehicle at RAF Gibraltar

RAF Gibraltar is a Royal Air Force station located at the northern end of the territory. Although no aircraft are based at the station, it is used to support operations in the region and for major NATO exercises. The airfield also serves as Gibraltar International Airport which operates a civilian passenger terminal on the northern side of the airfield.[16] Winston Churchill Avenue, the four-lane road linking Gibraltar and Spain, crosses the airfield's runway and is closed to traffic each time an aircraft takes off or lands.[17]

As of 2023, sixteen personnel are based at the station.[18]

King’s Lines Oil Fuel Depot

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The Kings Lines Oil Fuel Depot was built 1954 for the Royal Navy. The depot is located underground within the Rock of Gibraltar and had a capacity to store 250,000 tonnes of fuel.[19] It has been unused for many years and in 2023 the MOD indicated that it intended on reopening the facility.[20]

Windmill Hill

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Windmill Hill located on at the southern end of the peninsula is home to the Buffadero Training Centre which is used by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and other British Army units. It features a purposes built village for urban combat training.[21][22] Buffadero is also used by the Gibraltar Defence Police and the Royal Gibraltar Police for public order training.[23]

The hill is also the location of Windmill Hill Signal Station, used by the Royal Navy for monitoring maritime activity in the Strait of Gibraltar.[24]

Permanent units

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Though Gibraltar's current garrison is much smaller than it had been before the end of the Cold War, a sizable force still exists, including:[1]

Ministry of Defence (MoD)/HQ British Forces Gibraltar (145 military personnel as of 2023 plus 528 civilians under contract)[25]

Army

Navy (28 personnel as of 2023, plus additional personnel assigned to HMS Trent)[26]

Royal Air Force (16 personnel as of 2023)[38]

Gibraltar Defence Police

Previous commanders

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Senior Officer, Gibraltar

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Post holders included:[41][42]

Flag Officer, Gibraltar

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Post holders included:[41]

Flag Officer, Gibraltar and North Atlantic

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Main article: Flag Officer Commanding North Atlantic

Flag Officer, Gibraltar and Mediterranean Approaches

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Post holders included:

Flag Officer, Gibraltar

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Post holders included:[41]

Commander British Forces, Gibraltar

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Commodores Tim Henry (left) and Steve Dainton

Post holders included:[48]

  • Rear Admiral Jeremy Sanders (April 1992 – December 1994)
  • Major-General Simon Pack (December 1994 – April 1997)
  • Commodore Alastair Taylor (April 1997 – June 1999)
  • Commodore Andrew Willmett (June 1999 – December 2001)
  • Commodore Richard Clapp (December 2001 – May 2004)
  • Commodore David White (May 2004 – 8 January 2005)[49]
  • Commodore Allan Adair (19 January 2005 – 1 May 2007)[50]
  • Commodore Matt Parr (1 May 2007 – February 2009)[51]
  • Commodore Adrian Bell (February 2009 – September 2010)[52]
  • Commodore Tom Karsten (September 2010 – November 2012)[53]
  • Commodore John Clink (November 2012 – August 2014)[54]
  • Commodore Ian McGhie (August 2014 – July 2016)[55]
  • Commodore Mike Walliker (July 2016 – September 2018)[56]
  • Commodore Timothy Henry (September 2018 – July 2020)[57]
  • Commodore Steve Dainton (July 2020 – June 2022)[58]
  • Commodore Tom Guy (June 2022 – present)[5]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "FOI(A) regarding British Forces Gibraltar" (PDF). What do they know?. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Memorandum from the Military Representatives Committee" (PDF). NATO. Retrieved 9 January 2016. and "Chronology and Organisation of Allied Command" (PDF). NATO. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  3. ^ Peter Melson (2014). "NATO in Transition: Five Years in SHAPE 1989 to 1994". The Naval Review (UK): 161.
  4. ^ "The British Army in Gibraltar". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  5. ^ a b "New CBF for British Forces Gibraltar". Gibraltar Chronicle. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Directorate of Overseas Bases". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Heappey, James (2 May 2023). "Gibraltar: Military Bases – Question for Ministry of Defence (UIN 182428)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  8. ^ "The British Army in Gibraltar". British Army. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  10. ^ Horseman, Martin, ed. (March 1982). "RN Dockyard in Gibraltar to close". Armed Forces. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 44. ISSN 0142-4696.
  11. ^ "Gibraltar Dockyard". Hansard. 27 July 1983. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  12. ^ Archer, E G (2006). Gibraltar Identity and Empire. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 62. ISBN 0-415-34796-3.
  13. ^ "Gibraltar Squadron". Royal Navy. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Two new vessels for GDP as part of £36m MoD contract". Gibraltar Chronicle. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  15. ^ Culatto, John (19 January 2023). "GIBRALTAR DEFENCE POLICE FACE UP TO DETAILED INSPECTION FOR FIRST TIME IN 85-YEAR HISTORY". The Olive Press. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  16. ^ Ministry of Defence (13 May 2021). "British Forces Gibraltar explained". Voices Of The Armed Forces. Medium. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Strategic Command Blog – Overseas Bases in focus: 8 things you probably didn't know about Gibraltar". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Planning for the future". Gibraltar Panorama. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Rock's reinvigorated military importance underlined on minister's visit to Gibraltar". Royal Navy. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  21. ^ a b "FOI(A) regarding Forces overseas" (PDF). What do they know?. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Exercise Daring Rock takes hold at Buffadero Training Camp". Gibraltar Chronicle. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  23. ^ "RGP and GDP recruits undergo joint public order training programme at Buffadero". Gibraltar Chronicle. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  24. ^ "MoD announces £2m upgrade to Windmill Hill monitoring station". Gibraltar Chronicle. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  26. ^ "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  27. ^ "QHM Gibraltar". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  28. ^ "All change at the top for Gibraltar Squadron | Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  29. ^ "HMS Trent (P224) | Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  30. ^ HMS TRENT Heads To Gibraltar For LENGTHY DEPLOYMENT 🚢⚓, archived from the original on 13 December 2021, retrieved 31 March 2021
  31. ^ "Defence review will forge a growing Navy with expanding horizons". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  32. ^ "BMT completes successfully trials for High-Speed Patrol Craft HMS Cutlass". Navy Recognition.
  33. ^ "The second new @RNGibSqn patrol boat, HMS Dagger has been delivered to Gibraltar". Twitter. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  34. ^ "Gibraltar Squadron". Royal Navy. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  35. ^ "Gibraltar Clearance Divers Joint Training Exercise With Royal Moroccan Navy". YGTV. 20 November 2024.
  36. ^ "Sixth and final support boat delivered to Royal Navy diving group". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  37. ^ "SEA Class Marine Craft". Atlas Elektronik. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  38. ^ "Some 14,000 British servicemen pass through Gibraltar each year". The Diplomat. 25 April 2023.
  39. ^ "Two new vessels for GDP as part of £36m MoD contract". Gibraltar Chronicle. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  40. ^ "Gibraltar Defence Police learn advanced power boat skills". Gov.UK. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  41. ^ a b c Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865". gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. pp. 163–164. March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  42. ^ Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Gibraltar – The Dreadnought Project". dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 26 November 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  43. ^ Svonavec, Stephen. "Royal Navy Flag Officers, December 1, 1937". Fleet Organization Web Site. Stephen Svonavec. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  44. ^ Whitby, Michael (2011). Commanding Canadians: The Second World War Diaries of A.F.C. Layard. Vancouver, Canada: UBC Press. p. 362. ISBN 9780774840378.
  45. ^ "Naval Commands and Flag Officers (Hansard, 10 April 1946)". Hansard: vol 421 cc1897-9. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  46. ^ "Obituary: R. A. Foster-Brown". The Independent. 2 February 1999. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  47. ^ page 125
  48. ^ Mackie. 2018.
  49. ^ "Body of Gibraltar commander found". BBC News. 9 January 2005. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  50. ^ "The Permanent Joint Headquarters". Gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 May 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  51. ^ "Military teams triumph in the Gibraltar Triathlon". News. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  52. ^ "Gibraltar: British could have fired on Spanish police launch". News Focus. 12 December 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  53. ^ "CBF Gibraltar promotion to Rear-Admiral". Gibraltar Chronicle. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  54. ^ "Commodore John Clink is new CPF". Gibraltar Chronicle. 17 October 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  55. ^ "New CBF for Gibraltar as Commodore Clink Accepts Rear Admiral Promotion". Your Gibraltar. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  56. ^ GBC News (13 July 2016), CBF Retires, and Stays in Gibraltar, archived from the original on 13 December 2021, retrieved 14 July 2016
  57. ^ GBC News (31 August 2018), CFormer Gibraltar Squadron commander, Commodore Tim Henry, to take over as CBF on Tuesday, retrieved 2 September 2018
  58. ^ GBC NEWS (1 July 2020), Gibraltar's new Commander British Forces will be Commodore Steve Dainton
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