UK Defence Forum

Caribbean wrote:The Spanish love to quote

They should be careful of not boxing themselves into the same kind of corner with Ceuta and Melilla
- at least in the case of Gib there is a nice wedge within which to turn into either port, without entering disputed waters https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ge ... Waters.png

abc123 wrote:https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8185701/g ... aintballs/

More nonsense from the Scum

Also in the Express (other news outlets are available )

To be fair to Gavin he did want to send a T45 down there, but was talked out of it (should have done it anyway )

Little J wrote:
To be fair to Gavin he did want to send a T45 down there, but was talked out of it (should have done it anyway )

Agreed.

But, maybe their Lordships were afraid of said Type 45 overheating in warm sun of Ceuta and then Spanish easily taking over one of British ships?

abc123 wrote: in warm sun of Ceuta

which is actually a Russian navy stop-over and refuelling point: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... 5fBispzaq-

Begs the question ...... How reliable would our Spanish NATO allies be in a crisis?

About as reliable as they were in WW2...?!

They were present in various places, including Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan. They're also out training in Iraq too once more now.

They play funny buggers near home yes, but they are committing as times emerge.

They were an absolute waste of rations when i was on ops.

Spain keeps saying this:
" a territory for which a solution has to be reached in light of the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly of the United Nations"
and no one bothers to ask what they plan to do about Ceuta and Melilla

So instead, the std answer goes into circulation:
""Gibraltar is not a colony and it is completely inappropriate to describe in this way.

"Gibraltar is a full part of the UK family and has a mature and modern constitutional relationship with the UK."

Sky has followed up, and it looks like the Commission is straining every sinue to stay out of the spat (like they did when things got hot in Catalonia):
"The European Commission refused three times to state whether it views Gibraltar as a "colony", when repeatedly asked by Sky News' diplomatic editor Dominic Waghorn.

Alexander Winterstein, the Commission's deputy chief spokesperson, pointed to how the document was published by the European Council, made up of member states rather than Brussels officials.

"I have absolutely nothing to say to this," he said."

If this happens
"Who's likely to benefit from a [now likely Spanish] snap election?

Mr Sanchez's party still leads opinion polls but a possible result could be a right-wing majority formed by the PP, Ciudadanos and a newly-emerged far-right party, Vox."
- and as Catalunia did not take the olive branch from Sanchez,
... just wait for Gib to become the whipping boy for a much more nationalistic Gvmnt (so that they can feel they have a 'free hand' with Catalonian separatism). Strange logic, but that's how it works

This is starting get a bit silly now, especially from a fellow NATO member.

Didn't take long from the snap elections being ordered

Buster, we could do with you now along with your fellow divers and some limpet mines

Poiuytrewq wrote:This is starting get a bit silly now, especially from a fellow NATO member.

Well, for those here that wonder why Spain isn't more active against Russia, there's your answer...

How about installing a shore battery and carrying out gunnery practice "within territorial waters" whenever a suitable target appears?

Scimitar54 wrote:How about installing a shore battery and carrying out gunnery practice "within territorial waters" whenever a suitable target appears?

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment has towed guns . I have done range safety for a live fire exercise. It would be prudent to replace the previous Exocet land conversions done by the Argentineans that ended up at Gibraltar. That would also make the med pinch point more effective.

Maybe we still have a couple of 76mm Oto-Melara Turrets hanging about, maybe with more than enough rounds as well. Then it really would be Game, Ceuta and Match!

Scimitar54 wrote:Then it really would be Game, Ceuta and Match!

Once the WA (in one form or other ) will have been signed, that game should be brought by the UK to the UN Security Council.
- the status of Gib was established by int'l treaty and the signatories to it have clearly recognised successors
- whereas the status of Ceuta and Melilla is clearly that of a colony (or two of them):"Morocco continues to claim possession of both enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. Spain argues that its historical presence at these specific locations predates the existence of the modern country of Morocco"

My last job before leaving 1102 MCU Gibraltar was to make a rowing oar (George Bell oar) this was made in the then boat house. It had at the time a working oar lathe. It is now the Gibraltar Squadron building. It was a seral working environment as the dockyard employed Charles. The proprietor of the hole in the wall as a boat wright. His morning greeting to me was ' You still bent. holding hands with that wren, The one you were rolling the beach with.' I had to repair the oar two days before I left because a member of the Calpe rowing club had tapped his girlfriend on the bottom. Catching the oar on a raised flower bed by girls secondary school chipping the blade.

BBC News article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48865030