Gibraltar Squadron The Gibraltar Squadron is a unit of the British Royal Navy . It is the only resident seagoing Royal Naval unit in Gibraltar , attached to British Forces Gibraltar . It consists of two Patrol launches — and her sister ship — and three Pacific 24 rigid - hulled inflatable boat s , manned by a team of 22 people . According to the Royal Navy , the unit ' s mission is to : " To contribute to the maritime defence and security of Gibraltar and , where necessary , the prosecution of offensive maritime operations in order to allow BFG to support military ops as directed by HMG . " Based in a purpose - built headquarters in Gibraltar , the Squadron is operational throughout the year in order to meet its directive from Commander British Forces Gibraltar , with particular regard to the security and integrity of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters ( BGTW ) . It is also responsible for the protection of British , NATO and allied warships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar or entering the naval base . Uniquely for the Royal Navy , the Squadron is permanently assigned to the Operational Command of Commander Joint Operations . The squadron is attached to the Portsmouth Flotilla and is one of two units permanently stationed overseas , the other being HMS " Clyde " , also assigned to the Portsmouth Flotilla . History . The unit was established on the 28th August 1985 following the withdrawal of the RAF Marine Craft Unit No . 1022 . The two motor launches attached to the previous unit , HMAFV Sunderland and Stirling , remained however and were subsequently renamed HM ships Hart and Cormorant respectively . Both vessels remained with the squadron until May 1991 when they were replaced by the new P2000 patrol boats HM Ships Ranger and Trumpeter . These in turn remained with the squadron until 2003 . Following the 9 / 11 terrorist attacks , security arrangements for the squadron were enhanced and the unit received yet another new pair of patrol boats , HMS Sabre and HMS Scimitar , as well as three new RHIBs , in September 2002 . In recent years , the unit has played host to nine URNU students each summer for a two week acquaint , giving them experience of a front line unit . In August 2011 the unit moved into its new facilities in the Old Boathouse on the Gibraltar waterfront . On several occasions vessels of the Spanish Navy and Civil Guard have entered Gibraltar territorial waters and boats of the squadron have been dispatched to intercept them . The issue of sovereignty over Gibraltar has been a matter of contention between the United Kingdom and Spain since the territory first became a British colony and latterly an overseas territory . The current coalition government are undertaking a review of the facilities and services associated with British Forces in Gibraltar . The review , known as Project EUSTON , has established that the three service units ( the Gibraltar Squadron , RAF Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Regiment ) will remain whilst some facilities and services will be handed over to the civilian government . Boathouse . Since 2011 the Gibraltar Squadron has shared a headquarters and boathouse with the Marine Unit of the Gibraltar Defence Police . The boathouse accommodates the Navy ' s 2 patrol boats and 3 RHIBs , and the police ' s 2 patrol boats and 2 RHIBs . Scimitar class . The two patrol boats of the squadron are known as Lifespan Patrol Vessels ( LPVs ) , built by Halmatic ( now BAE Systems ) and which previously served in Northern Ireland . HM Ships Scimitar and Sabre , previously known as MX Grey Fox and MV Grey Wolf respectively , were drawn from service in Northern Ireland . The two boats are capable of 30 knots and are armed with two General Purpose Machine guns ( GPMG s ) .