It sounds much like giving a convicted bank robber a job guarding the bank.

The " Diplomatic Storm " over last weeks events has certainly had results

This morning we had the GC being headed off by the might of the Royal Navy in Gib waters.

First picture shows the GC vessel and the wake of the MIGHTY RN RHIB which is shown in the second picture. Both pictures represent the vessel's sizes.

Lets hope we have RM`s onboard with minimi`s

From today's radio news

Señora Crespo says the Guardia Civil officers, "only invited the two Gibraltarian men to accompany them to the Algeciras Port”

http://www.gbc.gi/news/news-details.php?id=124

It's OK we have had an upgrade this morning



HMS DARING

I still think she is an ugly looking vessel and gives the impression she will roll over in a heavy sea with all that top hamper

but at least she carries the firepower of the whole of the Spanish navy in that single hull

tot time ?

They are ugly, saw 3 in Portsmouth. However, the specifications are amazing. Suppose they are the Mike Tyson of the Navy

the RN's equivalent of the US Aegis vessels - except I read somewhere that Daring beat an Aegis hands down during a "friendly" visit.

that is why we need Professionals and not National Service manning such awesome weapons.

Pray tell me you don't even for one moment believe it could ever be otherwise.

for the first part - it has never been any different, the RN has always shown the USN how to do things

for the second part - pure National Service was fine in the first half of the last century when all that was wanted was bodies moving around as potential cannon fodder. But I was present for a period of unprecedented technology advances when people had to have skills, interest, the ability to learn and keep on learning.

National Service was right when you wanted to send people in to mix it with the fuzzywuzzies and everyone else that disagreed with the British Empire, to be shot at whilst eventually meeting hand to hand, bayonet to spear.

Today's military equipment needs professionals who practice and practice and practice until every movement is drilled into a reaction to an action - without fail.
The Reserve's provide a vital additional professional pool that is being relied on more and more.

So can you find a use for a can't get up in the morning, go home because life is boring twonk in National Service. Perhaps they could be trained to put out fires - except firemen have to have specialist knowledge and training in the use of equipment such as BA. What about as security guards on establishments? Well if they can't get out of bed terrorists would be able to just drive in whenever they want.

Don't get me wrong, the old National Service generated some fine guys who transferred to full service - I served with some.

If anyone is still interested in a story which has two sides, here is a translation of the Spanish version of events, published in today's paper.

"What happened in reality? According to the statement of the Guardia Civil, delivered to the British Embassy, the Gibraltar yacht was surprised eight miles offshore, in clearly Spanish waters, carrying out an illegal activity: fishing for bluefin tuna, a species in danger of extinction whose capture without a license is strictly punished.

The boat set off at speed and the GC followed it to within half a mile of the colony, in waters whose sovereignty is disputed between Spain and United Kingdom. From there she was taken to the port of Algeciras, where the charge was drawn up, without the two crew members of the yacht actually being arrested at any point."

Interesting , yatchs cant speed off unlike a GC patrol boat.

'A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men'

Especially with a 208kg tuna fish on board!

Here's a picture of it, it isn't really a yacht is it.

My understanding is the boat was fishing in the area marked high seas on the chart in Jimenato's post 266.

Also I believe the proposed rules protecting bluefin tuna have not been fully agreed.