New patrol craft to replace Gibraltar Squadron’s interim Archer class
The UK RN’s Gibraltar Squadron looks set to benefit from the introduction of two new patrol craft, after a 24 July announcement by the MoD revealed a £9.9 million ($12.6 million) contract award to UK-based Marine Specialised Technology (MST) for vessel manufacture and platform support.
Tasked with patrolling and securing Gibraltar’s territorial waters, the RN operates from HMNB Gibraltar which is strategically located at the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. The base regularly hosts UK and allied naval vessels operating in the region, with patrol craft providing force protection for visiting ships.
However, NATO ally Spain refuses to recognise
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