ARMED TO THE TEETH
The British nuclear submarine HMS Tireless is pictured above sailing into Gibraltar yesterday morning.
The vessel was escorted by the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron and the Gibraltar Defence Police.
Additionally, the submarine deployed its own general purpose machine guns mounted on top of the conning tower.
The vessel is here on a short operational visit and the Ministry of Defence released no further details.
The submarine arrived in Gibraltar three days after a British junior minister insisted that the Royal Navy had sufficient assets here to deliver its current tasking.
Andrew Murrison, Under-Secretary of State for Defence said the British Government nevertheless constantly reviewed the permanent and visiting naval presence in and around Gibraltar.
“We expect larger Royal Navy ships to continue to visit Gibraltar in relation to operational and training activity, reflecting its utility as a permanent joint operating base,” Mr Murrison said.
“However, they will continue to be based in the UK.”
Mr Murrison was responding to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP Julian Lewis about the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Guardship.
Mr Lewis tabled the question before the House of Commons querying whether there are any plans to base a frigate at Gibraltar or if the Secretary of State would make it his policy to base a warship at Gibraltar for diplomatic or naval utility purposes.
Naval Historical Records indicate that the Rothesay class frigate HMS Brighton arrived in Gibraltar in October 1967 to provide a permanent Guardship presence and that the Tribal class destroyer HMS Gurkha was the last frigate-size warship to be based in Gibraltar. She left Gibraltar on February 2 1984.
The Gibraltar Squadron—currently HM Ships Sabre and Scimitar—was formed in August 1985.
The British nuclear submarine HMS Tireless is pictured above sailing into Gibraltar yesterday morning.