£5m patrol boat HMS Dagger commissioned

HMS Dagger has been officially commissioned into the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron in a ceremony at Gibraltar Naval Base.

The patrol boat joins her sister boat HMS Cutlass in the role of 'guardians of the Rock' - the permanent replacements for HMS Sabre and Scimitar which operated in Gibraltar's waters for nearly two decades.

HMS Dagger had to undergo a rigorous series of sea trials and safety checks prior to hoisting the White Ensign.

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The Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron took delivery of the £5m patrol boat, Dagger, in April.

Dagger's commissioning follows Cutlass' in May, meaning the Gibraltar Squadron has now completed its £10m investment in the new patrol boats.

P2000 patrol boats HMS Dasher and Pursuer have acted as the Royal Navy’s temporary presence around Gibraltar in recent months, joining the squadron’s Pacific 24 RIBS on patrol, but Cutlass and Dagger now takeover.

They are twice as fast as the Archer Class P2000 vessels, as well as being smaller and nimbler.

Dagger and Cutlass are equipped with the latest optical and infra-red systems, enabling the crew to identify and track potential threats at range.

The role of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron is to conduct maritime operations in order to provide security in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, reassuring the Gibraltarians and demonstrating UK sovereignty of Gibraltar.

Both of the patrol boats will also deliver force protection to visiting warships, submarines and auxiliary units – 365 days a year – alongside their civilian counterparts in the Gibraltar Defence Police force.