Gibraltar Squadron

Gibraltar Squadron
HMS Dagger at HM Naval Base, Gibraltar
Active	28 August 1985 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Squadron
Role	Maritime security and Force Protection
Size	1 Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), 2 Fast Patrol Boats, 3 Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBS), 1 diving support boat & 28 personnel (+ c. 34-45 assigned to the OPV)[1][2][3][4]
Garrison/HQ	PJOB Gibraltar/HQ British Forces Gibraltar
Website	www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/operations/mediterranean-and-black-sea/gibraltar-squadron
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Cdr Simon Holden

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.^[5][6] The squadron also uses three Pacific 24 rigid-hulled inflatable boats^[7] and deploys one diving support boat. 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.^[8] As of 2023, 28 personnel were assigned to the squadron, along with additional personnel assigned to HMS Trent.^[9]