Secretive British special forces support vessel arrives in Gibraltar

Two fast attack craft "hidden" on her deck

The Northern River, support vessel.

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A support vessel used by British special forces arrived in Gibraltar this morning with two 70-knot fast pursuit vessels "hidden" on deck. Northern River, is often used by members of the elite Special Boat Service for training (SBS)

The SBS, the maritime equivalent of the SAS, use the 70 knot high performance vessels for a variety of tasks ranging from maritime pursuit to covert landings. Up to eight troops can be carried by each boat.

The Northern River is a large multi-purpose auxiliary ship operated by Serco Marine Services in support of the United Kingdom's Naval Service and is currently the largest ship operated by Serco Marine Services, both in terms of dimensions and gross tonnage.

Northern River also specializes in Special Forces (SF) operations, participating, for instance, in Exercise Chameleon 23-1 off the British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus in early 2023.

Also in Gibraltar at the moment is the SD Victoria. Her duties involve supporting training operations and transporting military personnel and equipment around the world. SD Victoria has also been photographed carrying Specialist Craft operated by the Special Boat Service.