HMS Cutlass: Take a look at the newest member of the Royal Navy family

The £5m fast patrol boat HMS Cutlass has been formally handed over to the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron after three months of trials, ready for being declared fully operational in the spring.

HMS Cutlass will be the backbone of the squadron, with HMS Dagger due to arrive on the Rock later this year.

They are replacing the two P2000s temporarily assigned to Gibraltar – Dasher and Pursuer.

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With a top speed of 40 knots, the new boats, built on Merseyside, are twice as fast as the P2000s, smaller, nimbler and equipped with the latest optical and infra-red systems, enabling crew to identify and track potential threats at range.