British Forces Gibraltar
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
April 1992–current
Flag Officer, Gibraltar, 1946-1992
Strategic Command. Subordinate to Director of Overseas Bases.
Commodore Tom Guy
Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Moore
Lieutenant Commander Simon Holden
Wing Commander Jackson Brown MBE RAF
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.
Command[edit]
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[edit]
Devil's Tower Camp[edit]
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[edit]
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]
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
Gibraltar Defence Police