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Protecting our Nation's Interests

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    10:54 GMT - 23 May 2013

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    14:23 GMT - 22 May 2013

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    15:49 GMT - 21 May 2013

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          Patrol and Minehunters
          Scimitar

          HMS Scimitar

          HMS Scimitar and her sister Ship HMS Sabre form the core of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron. Operating from HM Naval Base Gibraltar the two Scimitar-class patrol boats, 21 personnel, and three Pacific rigid-hulled inflatable boats are an efficient and effective unit. The role of RNGS is to provide Force Protection to visiting coalition warships, conduct maritime security patrols within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and support a variety of operations within the Joint Operating Area. A small unit at high readiness Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron performs a broad array of tasks in a dense shipping environment.

          HMS Scimitar

          • Sailors of Gibraltar Squadron HMS Scimitar practise re-supply at sea (RAS) training in the strait of Gibraltar

            Sailors of Gib Squadrons HMS Sabre & Scimitar practice Re-supply at Sea (RAS) Training in the straits of Gibraltar.

          • Sailors of Gibraltar Squadron HMS Scimitar practise re-supply at sea (RAS) training in the strait of Gibraltar

            Sailors of Gib Squadrons HMS Sabre & Scimitar practice Re-supply at Sea (RAS) Training in the straits of Gibraltar.

          • Sailors of Gibraltar Squadron HMS Scimitar practise re-supply at sea (RAS) training in the strait of Gibraltar

            Sailors of Gib Squadrons HMS Sabre & Scimitar practice Re-supply at Sea (RAS) Training in the straits of Gibraltar.

          COMMANDING OFFICER

          Tom Knott

          Tom Knott
          RANK:
          Lieutenant
          JOINED:
          2004
          SPECIALISATION:
          Warfare
          PREVIOUS UNITS:
          HMS Atherstone, HMS Daring
          Military experience

          Tom Knott was educated at The Westwood High School, Staffordshire before joining the Royal Navy in 2004 as a Naval College Entrant at BRNC Dartmouth.

          Having conducted Specialist Fleet Time on board HMS Quorn, Lieutenant Knott was awarded the Beaufort Wharton Memorial Award 2006 for PNO course and thereafter joined HMS Walney as Navigating Officer.

          HMS Walney deployed to the Mediterranean and conducted several NATO MCM Exercises as part of Operation Orion 07. Lieutenant Knott gained further NATO Task Group experience as Force Navigator when Walney was activated to perform the role of Flagship to SNMCMG1. His final 5 months as a Preliminary Navigator involved crew rotation to HMS Blyth as part of the Aintree MCM Force and subsequently leading HM Ship’s Blyth and Atherstone alongside Umm Qasr, Iraq, the first Royal Navy units to do so for 6 years.

          Proceeding from his first job direct to FNO course he won the Hugh Cheetham-Hill prize for highest overall marks 2009 and was appointed to HMS Daring. As Navigating Officer he gained positive recognition at first of class BOST before conducting Daring’s first deployment to operate with the USS Enterprise Carrier Task Group culminating in a high profile visit to New York.

          Lt Knott assumed Command of HMS Scimitar on the 1 Jun 2011.


          OPERATIONS

          Gibraltar Squadron

          CURRENT STATUS: active
          image
          MISSION SUMMARY

          Provide force protection and security to Gibraltar's maritime environment, enforce and assert the sovereign integrity of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, whilst contributing to the overall defence effort

          ABOUT THE UNIT

          KEY STATISTICS


          Pennant

          P284

          Displacement

          24tonnes

          Complement

          5personnel

          Length

          15.9Metres

          Beam

          4.4metres

          Draught

          1.2metres

          Top Speed

          32knots

          Range (Nautical)

          260nautical miles

          TAKE A LOOK

          Image Gallery

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              Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead

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              Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead

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              Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead

            • image

              Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead

            • image

              Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead

            • image

              Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead

            • image

              Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead

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              Gibraltar Squadron Busy With Exercises

              HMS Sutherland in Gibraltar

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              Gibraltar Squadron Busy With Exercises

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              Gibraltar Squadron Busy With Exercises

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              HMS Scimitar

              SPAG 2012

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              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR AT SEA OFF GIBRALTAR - 3-2-2008. HMS SCIMITAR is one of two permanently stationed sea-going units in Gibraltar which make up the Gibraltar Patrol Boat Squadron. Initially starting life as MV Grey Fox and operated in the waters around Northern Ireland, the commissioning of HMS Scimitar occurred on 31 Jan 03 which also saw her commence her duties within the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. Principally operating to maintain the security and integrity of these Territorial Waters, HMS Scimitar also contributes heavily to the support of Fleet and NATO assets in the area and offers general Search and Rescue assistance for the local area. LA(Phot) Pete Smith, FRPU(E)

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              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR AND HMS SABRE AT SEA GIBRALTAR - 3-2-2008. HMS SABRE escorts HMS CHIDDINGFOLD into Gibraltar. HMS SCIMITAR and HMS SABRE are the two permanently stationed sea-going units in Gibraltar that make up the Gibraltar Patrol Boat Squadron. Initially starting life and operating in the waters around Northern Ireland they now maintain the security and integrity of these Territorial Waters, they also contribute heavily to the support of Fleet and NATO assets in the area and offers general Search and Rescue assistance for the local area. LA(Phot) Pete Smith, FRPU(E)

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              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR AT SEA OFF GIBRALTAR - 3-2-2008. HMS SCIMITAR is one of two permanently stationed sea-going units in Gibraltar which make up the Gibraltar Patrol Boat Squadron. Initially starting life as MV Grey Fox and operated in the waters around Northern Ireland, the commissioning of HMS Scimitar occurred on 31 Jan 03 which also saw her commence her duties within the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. Principally operating to maintain the security and integrity of these Territorial Waters, HMS Scimitar also contributes heavily to the support of Fleet and NATO assets in the area and offers general Search and Rescue assistance for the local area. LA(Phot) Pete Smith, FRPU(E)

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              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR AND HMS SABRE AT SEA GIBRALTAR - 3-2-2008. HMS SABRE escorts HMS CHIDDINGFOLD into Gibraltar. HMS SCIMITAR and HMS SABRE are the two permanently stationed sea-going units in Gibraltar that make up the Gibraltar Patrol Boat Squadron. Initially starting life and operating in the waters around Northern Ireland they now maintain the security and integrity of these Territorial Waters, they also contribute heavily to the support of Fleet and NATO assets in the area and offers general Search and Rescue assistance for the local area. LA(Phot) Pete Smith, FRPU(E)

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              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR AND HMS SABRE AT SEA GIBRALTAR - 3-2-2008. HMS SCIMITAR at speed off Europa point Gibraltar. HMS SCIMITAR and HMS SABRE are the two permanently stationed sea-going units in Gibraltar that make up the Gibraltar Patrol Boat Squadron. Initially starting life and operating in the waters around Northern Ireland they now maintain the security and integrity of these Territorial Waters, they also contribute heavily to the support of Fleet and NATO assets in the area and offers general Search and Rescue assistance for the local area. LA(Phot) Pete Smith, FRPU(E)

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              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR OFF GIBRALTAR 28-01-2009 ONE OF TWO GIBRALTAR SQUADRON PATROL BOATS HMS SCIMITAR IS PERMANANTLY BASED IN GIBRALTAR AND ALONG WITH HER SISTER SHIP HMS SABRE SHE PROVIDE ESCORT PROTECTION TO UK AND OTHER ALLIED NATIONS SHIPS . HMS SCIMITAR OFF GIBRALTAR 28-01-2009 HMS SCIMITAR AND HER SISTER SHIP HMS SABRE ARE 2 PATROL BOATS PERMANANTLY BASED IN GIBRALTAR FORMING THE GIBRALTAR SQUADRON, THEIR ROLE IS TO PROVIDE ESCORT PROTECTION TO UK AND OTHER ALLIED NATIONS SHIPS .

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              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR OFF GIBRALTAR 28-01-2009 ONE OF TWO GIBRALTAR SQUADRON PATROL BOATS HMS SCIMITAR IS PERMANANTLY BASED IN GIBRALTAR AND ALONG WITH HER SISTER SHIP HMS SABRE SHE PROVIDE ESCORT PROTECTION TO UK AND OTHER ALLIED NATIONS SHIPS . HMS SCIMITAR OFF GIBRALTAR 28-01-2009 HMS SCIMITAR AND HER SISTER SHIP HMS SABRE ARE 2 PATROL BOATS PERMANANTLY BASED IN GIBRALTAR FORMING THE GIBRALTAR SQUADRON, THEIR ROLE IS TO PROVIDE ESCORT PROTECTION TO UK AND OTHER ALLIED NATIONS SHIPS .

            • image

              HMS Scimitar opearting off Gibraltar

              HMS SCIMITAR OFF GIBRALTAR 28-01-2009 ONE OF TWO GIBRALTAR SQUADRON PATROL BOATS HMS SCIMITAR IS PERMANANTLY BASED IN GIBRALTAR AND ALONG WITH HER SISTER SHIP HMS SABRE SHE PROVIDE ESCORT PROTECTION TO UK AND OTHER ALLIED NATIONS SHIPS . HMS SCIMITAR OFF GIBRALTAR 28-01-2009 HMS SCIMITAR AND HER SISTER SHIP HMS SABRE ARE 2 PATROL BOATS PERMANANTLY BASED IN GIBRALTAR FORMING THE GIBRALTAR SQUADRON, THEIR ROLE IS TO PROVIDE ESCORT PROTECTION TO UK AND OTHER ALLIED NATIONS SHIPS .

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              HMS Scimitar

              HMS DARING (AND FATHER CHARLES) VISIT GIBRALTAR ON THE SHIP’S FIRST DEPLOYMENT The Navy’s new ship hosted a visit by Gibraltar’s new Chief Minister The Royal Navy’s first Type 45 destroyer, HMS DARING, arrived in the Naval Base on a grey and damp Monday morning on her maiden deployment. On board was her Gibraltarian chaplain, Father Charles Bruzon. The Portsmouth-based warship - hailed by her Commanding Officer as 'staggeringly capable' - will spend the next seven months east of Suez, safeguarding sea lanes and working with the UK's allies in the region. Eleven years after she was ordered, nine years after the first steel was cut, six years since she was launched into an icy Clyde, and three years after she made her debut in Portsmouth, HMS DARING is ready to maintain the Navy's long-term presence east of Suez. DARING is the first of six £1bn Type 45 destroyers, four of which have been handed over to the Royal Navy, with three ready for front line duties. She will take over from the frigate HMS Argyll on a varied mission that includes tasks ranging from counter-piracy and safeguarding sea lanes to working with the nation's allies and flying the flag for Britain. She sails with her 200-plus ship's company. Her normal complement has been bolstered by a specialist Royal Marines boarding team from the Fleet Protection Group and all those aboard are eager to show off what has been hailed as one of the most advanced warships in the world: ‘As far as the Navy is concerned, this is a routine deployment,’ said Commanding Officer Captain Guy Robinson. ‘To deploy DARING herself for the first time is far from routine of course, taking a ship of this complexity away from the UK for seven months. There's been a year of hard work getting her ready. Now is the chance to show what we can do. This ship is staggeringly capable - she stands alongside the best in the world." During the ship’s visit, Captain Robinson hosted a lunch which the Governor, the Chief Minister and Ministers Bruzon and Licudi attended. The ship also hosted visits from local schools, the Sea Scouts and the RG Association.

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              HMS Scimitar and HMS Daring

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              HMS Scimitar and HMS Daring

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              HMS Scimitar

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              Sailors of Gibraltar Squadron HMS Scimitar practise re-supply at sea (RAS) training in the strait of Gibraltar

              Sailors of Gib Squadrons HMS Sabre & Scimitar practice Re-supply at Sea (RAS) Training in the straits of Gibraltar.

            • image

              Sailors of Gibraltar Squadron HMS Scimitar practise re-supply at sea (RAS) training in the strait of Gibraltar

              Sailors of Gib Squadrons HMS Sabre & Scimitar practice Re-supply at Sea (RAS) Training in the straits of Gibraltar.

            • image

              Sailors of Gibraltar Squadron HMS Scimitar practise re-supply at sea (RAS) training in the strait of Gibraltar

              Sailors of Gib Squadrons HMS Sabre & Scimitar practice Re-supply at Sea (RAS) Training in the straits of Gibraltar.

            • image

              Sailors of Gibraltar Squadron HMS Scimitar practise re-supply at sea (RAS) training in the strait of Gibraltar

              Sailors of Gib Squadrons HMS Sabre & Scimitar practice Re-supply at Sea (RAS) Training in the straits of Gibraltar.

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              Patrol ships and Minehunters

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              HMS Scimitar

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              HMS Scimitar

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              HMS Scimitar

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              HMS Scimitar

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              HMS Scimitar

          UNITS IN TIME


          HMS Scimitar HISTORY

          TRACK THE HISTORY OF SHIPS NAMED HMS Scimitar
          • First HMS Scimitar

            Launched on 27 February 1918 and commissioned on 29 April of the same year, H21 or HMS Scimitar – an Admiralty S-class destroyer built by the John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Scotland – took part in the British evacuation ‘Operation Dynamo Dunkerque’ but was seriously damaged by bombing on 28 May 1940.

          • Battle History

            Towards the end of WW2 she was instrumental in the sinking of the German submarine U-651 off Iceland. Depth charges from HMS Scimitar, along with the destroyer HMS Malcolm, the corvettes HMS Arabis and HMS Violet and the minesweeper HMS Speedwell sunk the submarine on 29 June 1941.

          • Ship History

            She returned to Devonport, Plymouth for repairs after being rammed and holed on 26 April 1944. She was scrapped in 1947.

          • Ship History

            By the late 1960s the Royal Navy required a vessel to be used in the training role to give the Fleet more experience of the capabilities of fast, modern attack craft which were becoming available to potential enemies. P271 – HMS Scimitar – was launched in 1970 and formed one third of the Fast Training Boat Squadron based at Portland along with her sister ships HMS Cutlass and HMS Sabre. Constructed from laminated wood they displaced 102 tonnes and measured 30m length, a beam of 8m and drew 2m. Not armed, these Proteus gasturbine-powered craft could be armed with missiles and have a third ‘Proteus’ fitted to give them almost unrivalled performance compared to any military craft at the time. Collectively known as the Scimitar-class Fast Training Craft, P271, was designed and built by Vosper Thornycroft Ltd at their Portchester Yard in Hampshire. In the 1970s illegal immigration had become a major problem for Hong Kong. By the end of the 1970s the numbers of illegal immigrants had grown to such numbers that the stability of the colony was threatened. To alleviate this problem, HMS Scimitar (P271) was sent from the UK to augment the Royal Marines of No. 3 Marine Raiding Squadron in their rigid inflatables. Scimitar helped stem a flood of illegal immigrants into a trickle and by the end of 1980 the number of arrests had dropped from 90,000 to 10,000.

          • Return to the UK

            In 1981 Scimitar returned to the UK and along with her sister ships of the same class she was placed on the disposal list and subsequently bought by Greek interests and renamed Aquilon.

          • Current HMS Scimitar

            The current HMS Scimitar, wearing the pennant number P284 was launched in December 1992 following her construction by Halmatic Ltd in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Initially starting life as MV Grey Fox and operating in the waters around Northern Ireland, she commenced her duties within the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters in 2003.

          LATEST NEWS

           

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          Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead
          Scimitar crosses to North Africa to work with the Moroccans and honour UK war dead
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          Gibraltar guardian HMS Scimitar left the Rock behind to make...

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          Gibraltar Squadron Busy With Exercises
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