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This weekend will see a huge Navy presence in Gibraltar with over 1,100 sailors and marines using the Naval base as a forward mounting base. The deployment is knows as Cougar 12 and is a ‘long planned routine Royal Navy Response Force Task Group (RFTG) which will see ships transit through the western Mediterranean and Adriatic’.
HMS Montrose, HMS Northumberland, HMS Bulwark and RFA Mounts Bay, will arrive in the Base on Saturday morning, to stay for a period of two days, as part of the deployment. The scheme is carried out annually and began as part of 2012’a Strategic Defence and Security Review initiative. It is held at very high readiness to respond to any unexpected global events.
‘The RFTG was formed to give the ships and their embarked Royal Marines the opportunity to develop their ability to respond to short-notice tasking across a diverse range of defence activities such as disaster relief, humanitarian aid or amphibious operations.
The RFTG will be working with Allies and Partners to develop mutual capability including the French, Albanian and American Forces.’
The deployment will be directed from the UK’s flagship, HMS Bulwark, by Commodore Paddy McAlpine, Commander UK Task Group and 3 Commando Brigade’s Brigadier Martin Smith.
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