La flotilla británica zarpa hacia el Mediterráneo/ Royal Navy taskforce sets sail ahead of Gibraltar visit

El portahelicópteros de la Armada británica HMS Illustrious ha abandonado este lunes a las 10.30 la base naval de Portsmouth, en el sur de Inglaterra despedido por efusivas muestras de entusiasmo. El buque ha zarpado cuando Londres acaba de anunciar acciones legales "sin precedentes" contra España por el conflicto entre ambos países por Gibraltar. El buque de guerra y hasta nueve embarcaciones más navegarán por el Mediterráneo durante los próximos días hasta llegar al golfo Pérsico, donde realizarán unos ejercicios militares. Se espera que las fragatas Westminster y Montrose zarpen el martes, junto con el resto de buques. Atracarán en Gibraltar el próximo día 18, mientras que la nave insignia lo hará en Rota (Cádiz).
elpais
elmundo
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A Royal Navy deployment, which will include a stop at Gibraltar, will leave UK ports over the next few days, amid tensions between Spain and the UK.
A warship is due to dock at the British territory within a week, a deployment described by the MoD as "long-planned".
It comes as increased vehicle checks at the Spanish border have led to delays.
The Spanish government said it is considering taking the dispute to the UN Security Council where it could seek the support of Argentina.
A spokesman told the BBC that although the Falkland Islands - over which Britain went to war with Argentina - and Gibraltar were different issues, there were similarities between the two disputes.
The MoD says a number of Royal Navy warships and vessels from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are setting sail over the next few days for the annual deployment of the Response Force Task Group.
The group includes HMS Bulwark, HMS Illustrious, HMS Montrose and HMS Westminster. Helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious departed from Portsmouth on Monday morning and will join the navy flagship HMS Bulwark, which has sailed from Devonport.
HMS Westminster will be stopping over in Gibraltar, accompanied by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships Lyme Bay and Mounts Bay.
One of the other warships will visit the Spanish Rota naval base, which is near the Strait of Gibraltar in south-west Spain.
bbc