Visiting the Rock this weekend will be five Jetstream aircraft of 750 Naval Air Squadron, a squadron whose primary task is to provide training for the Fleet Air Arm’s Observers.

The role of the Observer in the Fleet is that of an airborne warfare officer who combines a range of skills to co-ordinate the use of airborne weapon systems in the fighting of modern maritime warfare. Inherent in these skills is the ability to navigate over both land and open water, often operating far from base. This weekend’s flight to Gibraltar comes at the end of the Basic Observer Course and trains the students in planning, organising and executing a long flight outside UK – a flight made more challenging because of Spanish restrictions on British military aircraft.

As this year is the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Fleet Air Arm, the local members of the Fleet Air Arm Officers’ Association are hosting a celebration lunch, attended by The Governor and Lady Johns. Vice Admiral Johns was the most senior Fleet Air Arm officer in the Royal Navy at the time of his retirement.

HMS Kent, one of the Royal Navy’s advanced Type 23 frigates, will also visit Gibraltar this weekend en route to Portsmouth after a six month tour of duty in the Middle East.

The ship’s primary mission was in the Northern Arabian Gulf, assisting the Iraqis in maintaining security around the oil terminals. Although the reduction of UK forces in Iraq progresses, the Royal Navy continues to provide security for Iraq’s offshore energy infrastructure and territorial integrity, as well as providing training for the Iraqi Navy.