HMS Sultan (establishment)

HMS Sultan is a shore base of the Royal Navy in Gosport, Hampshire, England. It is the primary engineering training establishment for the Royal Navy. It is also home to the Network Rail Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme and the EDF Energy engineering maintenance apprenticeship. It is expected that HMS Sultan will close in the near future, but "no earlier than 2029".[1]

HMS Sultan
Gosport, Hampshire in England
Caledonia Gate to HMS Sultan
HMS Sultan Shown within Hampshire
Coordinates	50°48′10″N 001°09′39″W
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Navy
Site history
Built	1914
In use	1914–1945 (as RAF Gosport) 1945–1956 (as HMS Siskin) 1956–present (as HMS Sultan)
Airfield information
Elevation	7 metres (23 ft) AMSL

History

The site was originally RAF Gosport it was then transferred to the Royal Navy during 1945 as HMS Siskin (Hence a nearby school being named Siskin School) it was then renamed HMS Sultan on 1 June 1956 when the airfield side was closed down and a Mechanical Repair Establishment was moved here from the Flathouse area by Portsmouth Dockyard.[2]

A Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, indicated that the Ministry of Defence intend on disposing of HMS Sultan by 2026. It was proposed that Submarine Engineer Training would move to HM Naval Base Clyde in 2024, Mechanical Engineering Training to HMS Collingwood in 2025 and the Admiralty Interview Board to HM Naval Base Portsmouth in 2026.[3] However, in March 2019 the Ministry of Defence announced that closure would be delayed to 2029 at the earliest.[4]

Units posted to HMS Sultan

The following squadrons were posted here at some point:

• No. 3 Squadron RAF.[5]
• No. 5 Squadron RAF.[6]
• No. 8 Squadron RAF.[7]
• No. 13 Squadron RAF.[8]
• No. 14 Squadron RAF.[8]
• No. 17 Squadron RAF.[9]
• No. 22 Squadron RAF.[10]
• No. 23 Squadron RAF.[11]
• No. 28 Squadron RAF.[12]
• No. 29 Squadron RAF.[12]
• No. 31 Squadron RAF.[13]
• No. 39 Squadron RAF.[14]
• No. 40 Squadron RAF.[14]
• No. 41 Squadron RAF.[14]
• No. 42 Squadron RAF.[15]
• No. 45 Squadron RAF.[15]
• No. 48 Squadron RAF.[16]
• No. 56 Squadron RAF.[17]
• No. 60 Squadron RAF.[18]
• No. 78 Squadron RAF.[19]
• No. 79 Squadron RAF.[19]
• No. 81 Squadron RAF.[20]
• No. 86 Squadron RAF.[21]
• No. 88 Squadron RAF.[21]
• No. 100 Squadron RAF.[22]
• No. 186 Squadron RAF.[23]
• No. 210 Squadron RAF.[24]
• No. 224 Squadron RAF.[25]
• No. 233 Squadron RAF.[26]
• No. 248 Squadron RAF.[27]
• No. 608 Squadron RAF.[28]
• No. 667 Squadron RAF.[29]
• 705 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 706 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 707 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 708 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 720 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 727 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 764 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 771 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 778 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 799 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 800 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 801 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 802 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 803 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 807 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 809 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 810 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 811 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 812 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 813 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 820 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 821 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 822 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 823 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 824 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 825 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 833 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 845 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 848 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 882 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 887 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 892 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 894 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 1846 Naval Air Squadron.[30]
• 1850 Naval Air Squadron.[30]

The following units were posted here at some point:

• No. 1 AACU ‘H’ Flight.[30]
• No. 1 Coast Artillery Co-operation Flight.[30]
• No. 1 Coast Artillery Co-operation Unit.[30]
• No. 1 RS.[30]
• No. 1 School of Special Flying.[30]
• No. 1 Sqn RNAS.[30]
• No. 2 AACU.[30]
• No. 2 AACU ‘A’ Flight.[30]
• No. 2 AACU ‘B’ Flight.[30]
• No. 2 AACU ‘D’ Flight.[30]
• 7th Wing RFC.[30]
• No. 8 AACU.[30]
• No. 10 TS.[30]
• No. 17 Group Communications Flight.[30]
• No. 17 (Training) Group.[30]
• 17th Wing RFC.[30]
• No. 27 RS.[30]
• No. 27 TS.[30]
• No. 55 TS.[30]
• No. 59 RS.[30]
• No. 62 RS.[30]
• No. 70 TS.[30]
• No. 87 (Canadian) RS.[30]
• No. 91 (Canadian) RS.[30]
• No. 163 GS.[30]
• No. 401 Air Stores Park.[30]
• No. 420 (Fleet Spotter) Flight.[30]
• No. 421 (Fleet Spotter) Flight.[30]
• No. 422 (Fleet Spotter) Flight.[30]
• No. 442 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight.[30]
• No. 449 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight.[30]
• No. 460 (Fleet Torpedo) Flight.[30]
• No. 460 (Fleet Torpedo Bomber) Flight.[30]
• No. 461 (Fleet Torpedo) Flight.[30]
• No. 461 (Fleet Torpedo Bomber) Flight.[30]
• No. 462 (Fleet Torpedo) Flight.[30]
• No. 462 (Fleet Torpedo Bomber) Flight.[30]
• No. 463 (Fleet Torpedo) Flight.[30]
• No. 464 (Fleet Torpedo) Flight.[30]
• No. 1622 (AAC) Flight.[30]
• Aircraft Torpedo Development Unit.[30]
• Anti-Aircraft Special Defence Flight.[30]
• Coast Defence Development Unit.[30]
• Coastal Battery Co-operation Flight.[30]
• Coastal Battery Co-operation School.[30]
• Composite Co-operation Flight.[30]
• Development Squadron.[30]
• Fleet Air Arm Maintenance Unit.[30]
• Observer Training Flight.[30]
• School of Aerial Co-operation with Coastal Defence Batteries.[30]
• School of Special Flying.[30]
• South Western Area Flying Instructors School.[30]
• Torpedo Development Flight.[30]
• Torpedo Development Section.[30]
• Torpedo Development Unit.[30]
• Torpedo Training Squadron.[30]
• Torpedo Training Unit.[30]

Current use

It is the primary engineering training establishment for the Royal Navy. It is also home to the Network Rail Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme and the EDF Energy engineering maintenance apprenticeship.

It is home to:[2]

• Defence School of Marine Engineering
• RN Air Engineering and Survival School
• Nuclear Department
• Volunteer Cadet Corps National Centre

Cadets

HMS Sultan is home to a number of units of the Volunteer Cadet Corps:[31]

• HMS Sultan Royal Naval Volunteer Cadet Corps
• Gosport Division Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps
• Band of the Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps Gosport
• Volunteer Cadet Corps Training Centre
• Volunteer Cadet Corps Field Gun
• Headquarters Volunteer Cadet Corps

See also

• List of Royal Navy shore establishments

References

Citations

1. "Solent LEP outlines bold new vision for Gosport - Solent LEP". solentlep.org.uk.
2. "History". Royal Navy (RN). Retrieved 9 December 2014.
3. "A Better Defence Estate" (PDF). GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 7 November 2016. p. 15.
4. "Joy as HMS Sultan closure is put on hold". Portsmouth News. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 24.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 25.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 26.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 28.
9. Jefford 1988, p. 29.
10. Jefford 1988, p. 31.
11. Jefford 1988, p. 32.
12. Jefford 1988, p. 34.
13. Jefford 1988, p. 35.
14. Jefford 1988, p. 38.
15. Jefford 1988, p. 39.
16. Jefford 1988, p. 41.
17. Jefford 1988, p. 43.
18. Jefford 1988, p. 44.
19. Jefford 1988, p. 48.
20. Jefford 1988, p. 49.
21. Jefford 1988, p. 51.
22. Jefford 1988, p. 53.
23. Jefford 1988, p. 66.
24. Jefford 1988, p. 70.
25. Jefford 1988, p. 73.
26. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
27. Jefford 1988, p. 77.
28. Jefford 1988, p. 99.
29. Jefford 1988, p. 104.
30. "Gosport (Fort Grange)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
31. "Meet our units". Volunteer Cadet Corps. Retrieved 27 January 2021.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.

External links

• Official website
• Volunteer Cadet Corps