HMS Daring arrived in Gibraltar yesterday, but it was not announced that she came after visiting Barcelona and, before being allowed into Gibraltar she had to visit a Moroccan port, because the UK's 'valued ally', Spain, does not allow UK warships to come direct to Gibraltar from a Spanish port.
Gibraltar Panama 27-07-12
The Royal Navy's first Type 45 destroyer, HMS DARING, first visited Gibraltar at the start of her maiden deployment in January this year.
She will return on Thursday en route to Portsmouth, staying for just 24 hours.On board will be her Gibraltarian chaplain, Father Charles Bruzon.
HMS DARING has spent the last seven months east of Suez, safeguarding sea lanes and working with the UK's allies in the region. She will be in Gibraltar very briefly but her Commanding Officer, Captain Guy A Robinson Royal Navy, said: "It is always a pleasure to visit Gibraltar particularly in this instance at is has marked the start and end to a successful first Operational Deployment for HMS DARING."
DARING is the first of six £1bn Type 45 destroyers, five of which have now been handed over to the Royal Navy, with three currently deployed on Operations.
Gibraltar Panama 27-07-12
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HOW DARE THEY!
The Armando LaGrande Column
HMS Daring in Barcelona before coming to Gibraltar
So, HMS Daring came to Gibraltar on a day last week for a rushed 24-hour visit. And do you know why it was a 24-hour visit?
There was that small (too small I thought!) news item in Panorama on Friday which let the cat out of the bag, I must say, and just as well.
It so happens that the destroyer dared to visit Barcelona before coming to Gib. Since there is a Spanish restriction that naval vessels cannot go directly to or from Gibraltar from a Spanish port, HMS Daring had to visit a Moroccan port before coming here. So, we were rewarded with a 24-hour, rushed visit, enough for the presentation of a painting of the ship to take place!
Oh dear, dear me.
And the Foreign Office keeps reminding all and sundry that relations with Spain are important, a NATO ally, friend and valued partner.
Yet, they keep in force a restriction that was imposed when Spain was a dictatorship, so some people do ask if the dictatorship lingers on as far as Gibraltar is concerned?
But there you are, dear chaps, the MOD having to bow to such unfairness, a far cry from what truly valued relationships are like!
And how come that in the days of the 'excellent' relationships flowing from the Tripartite Talks, such an anomaly between NATO allies, friends and valued partners was not ironed out?
It would appear that we were taken for a ride on that one, too! What do you think?
Gibraltar Panorama 30-07-12
