HMS Sabre ‘back in action’

After a month of extensive maintenance works, the HMS Sabre is back in action with the
Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron.
With her engines completely serviced and a fresh lick of paint, the 16-metre long Lifespan
Patrol Vessel has been returned to operations within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters
following a four-week annual survey and repair period.
This involved lifting HMS Sabre out of the water, conducting a deep-clean of the vessel both inside and out, including inside the various tanks onboard and conducting an external survey to assess the integrity of the hull.
The biggest change was the extensive re-upholstering of the wheelhouse which allows the
vessel to remain cool in the summer and provides insulation to keep the sailors warm in the winter.
Sabre’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Lloyd Cardy, said: “The Scimitar-class vessels
have been in service since 1993, having been based in Northern Ireland operating inland
before being retro-fitted and commissioned into the Royal Navy in 2003.”
“Since then they have been based in Gibraltar as part of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron,
providing a constant presence in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.”
“The annual maintenance period is essential in order to ensure that the vessels remain in
fighting shape, ready to continue the sovereignty mission assigned to us around the Rock.”
Before being returned to the Squadron the vessel passed a gruelling set of trials to prove that all the machinery was functioning as it should be and passing with flying colours she is now back on operations