The Gibraltar Clearance Diving Element (CDE) which consists of CPO(D) Roberts, LS(D) Foxwell, LET(ME) Tushingham, AB(D) Byatt and AB(D) Reed – has been awarded the Herbert Lott Award administered by the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity for their outstanding achievements.
They recently reached a significant milestone by joining forces with HMS DAGGER (DGGR) to sail to Tangier, Morocco, The Gibraltar Clearance Diving Element (CDE) conducted a historic joint diving exercise with the Royal Moroccan Navy.
This marked the first time the two nations' diving teams had worked together. Stationed in Gibraltar, the CDE primarily supports force protection operations, but this mission expanded their reach and showcased the capabilities of the VAHANA-Class Diving Support Boat (DSB) ‘CRABB.’
The team of five divers and one engineer completed a 40-mile transit across the Strait of Gibraltar, navigating through heavy traffic and challenging weather conditions, highlighting the boat’s versatility and the team’s professionalism.
Upon arrival in Tangier, the CDE was warmly welcomed by the Royal Moroccan Diving School. Although no diving was initially conducted, the visit proved to be a success, as the team demonstrated the reach of the DSB ‘CRABB’ and opened the door for future collaborations.
The success of this visit has already led to plans for further cooperation, with Moroccan divers set to visit Gibraltar in 2025 before once again hosting Royal Navy Divers later in the year.
