The Diplomat
The Royal Navy warship HMS Trent arrived yesterday in Gibraltar, where it plans to establish its permanent base, a decision that caused unease in the Spanish Foreign Ministry and a question to the Government by the PP senator and mayor of Algeciras, José Ignacio Landaluce.
According to the British Armed Forces in Gibraltar, the arrival of HMS Trent is due to logistical support reasons: it will be its first visit to the Rock, after the announcement that it will have its permanent base in Gibraltar to operate in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the coasts of West Africa.
HMS Trent, which has already been to Gibraltar for repairs, is a Series 2 [River Class] offshore patrol vessel, equipped with a sophisticated suite of sensors and weapons, and manned by a rotating crew of up to 150 sailors. In command is Commander Knott, who said the crew were looking forward to arriving at the Naval Base “and are excited about the opportunities to establish a close relationship with Gibraltar over the coming years”.
In addition, the Commander of British Forces Gibraltar, Rear Admiral Steve Dainton, said: “This is a demonstration of the Ministry of Defence’s long-term commitment to the development of Gibraltar as a global strategic hub and is part of a much wider and more comprehensive programme of investment in the Rock for the future.
The announcement of the decision to permanently locate the warship in the British colony caused unease in the Spanish Foreign Ministry, although it has not expressed this publicly.
For his part, the PP senator and mayor of Algeciras, José Ignacio Landaluce, expressed his intention to present a series of initiatives in the Senate to ask the Spanish government whether London had previously informed him of the decision and whether it considers it to be an attitude “to intimidate Spain or some kind of aggressive gesture towards our country”.
Landaluce said he would be interested to know whether the permanent presence of a warship on the Rock could in any way affect bilateral relations between the two countries, and by extension the European Union, as the terms of the negotiation have yet to be agreed in Brussels.
Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo, responded to the alarm caused, assuring Gibraltar television that this is not an offensive move towards Spain and that HMS Trent will not operate in Gibraltar or around Gibraltar, where it will only be based and will only be a place for its crew to rest and refuel.
