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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= HMS ''Gannet'' and Gannet SAR Flight
|image= [[File:Gannet-Crest.jpg|100px]]
|caption=HMS Gannet SAR Flight badge
|dates= 1943-1959<br>1971-present day
|country= United Kingdom
|allegiance=
|branch= [[Royal Navy]]
|type=
|role= [[Search and Rescue]]<br>Training
|equipment= [[Westland Sea King|Sea King]]
|size=
|command_structure= [[Fleet Air Arm]]
|current_commander= [[Lieutenant-Commander]] '''Charlie Fuller''' <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Operations/Enduring-Operations/UK/Search-and-Rescue/HMS-Gannet| title=HMS Gannet Commanding Officer| publisher=MOD / Royal Navy| accessdate=Jul 5, 2012}}</ref>
|garrison= [[Prestwick Airport#Military use|RNAS Prestwick]]
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|march=
|mascot=
|battle_honours=
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
}}
[[File:HighlandEmergencyshot.jpg|right|300px|Some of the crew from HMS Gannet on TV's Highland Emergency]]

'''HMS ''Gannet''''' is a [[Royal Navy]] [[Fleet Air Arm]] establishment based at [[Glasgow Prestwick Airport#Military use|RNAS Prestwick]] in Scotland that also hosts Gannet SAR Flight.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Operations/Enduring-Operations/UK/Search-and-Rescue/HMS-Gannet| title=HMS Gannet| publisher=MOD / Royal Navy| accessdate=Oct 24, 2011}}</ref> It operates two from three [[Westland Sea King|Sea King]] Mk5 helicopters in the military and civilian [[Search and Rescue]] role across Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland. The crews cover an area from [[Ben Nevis]] in the north, the [[Isle of Man]] and the [[Lake District]] to the south, east to [[Edinburgh]], the [[Firth of Forth]] and the Borders, west to [[Northern Ireland]] and extends {{convert|200|mi|km}} west of Ireland over the north Atlantic, giving an operational area of approx. 98,000 square miles.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Operations/Enduring-Operations/UK/Search-and-Rescue/HMS-Gannet| title=HMS Gannet| publisher=MOD / Royal Navy| accessdate=Oct 24, 2011}}</ref>

Personnel at the base consists of 15 officers, 11 ratings, 28 civil servants and 50 civilian staff. The primary role is one of military Search and Rescue, with secondary roles in civilian Search and Rescue. Gannet also provides an important medical evacuation service to the many island communities and remote areas of Scotland. To perform these roles, one of the helicopters is on 15 minutes notice to fly during the day, and 45 minutes during the night, with a duty crew on call for 24 hours. This duty is maintained for 365 days of the year, with a second standby aircraft ready to assist should the emergency demand it.

The crews featured regularly on the [[Five (TV channel)|Channel 5]] documentary series ''[[Highland Emergency]]'' and BBC's "[[Countryside Rescue]]".

Consistently one of the busiest SAR units in the UK, 2009 saw the SAR Flight break a new record when they were tasked to 447 call outs. This figure equated to 20% of the UK’s total military SAR call outs in that year. In 2011, the Flight was the busiest SAR unit for the fifth year in succession. In 2010, with 379 call outs.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Operations/Enduring-Operations/UK/Search-and-Rescue/HMS-Gannet| title=HMS Gannet| publisher=MOD| accessdate=Oct 24, 2011}}</ref> and 2011 with 298 call-outs and 240 people rescued.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2012/02/08/scots-based-hms-gannet-named-busiest-search-and-rescue-unit-in-uk-during-2011-86908-23740809/| title=HMS Gannet named busiest search and rescue unit in UK during 2011| publisher=Daily Record| accessdate=Feb 8, 2012}}</ref>

In 2012 there were again 298 call-outs resulting in the rescue of 285 people.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/sitecore/content/home/the-fleet/aircraft/helicopters/sea-king-mk5/hms-gannet| title=About the unit - Call-outs in 2012| publisher=Royal Navy| accessdate=Oct 23, 2013}}</ref>

In 2014 ''Gannet SAR'' was tasked to 299 call-outs. This number made them the second busiest in the UK. [[RAF Valley]] in [[Wales]] was the busiest with 329 jobs.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401144/SAR_Annual_Report_Master_FINAL.pdf| title=Military Search And Rescue Statistics 2014| accessdate=Apr 2, 2015}}</ref>

==History==

A number of ships have borne the name [[HMS Gannet|HMS ''Gannet'']], the first being a wooden sloop registered in March 1800. The seventh and final sea-going craft to bear the name was a river gunboat, commissioned in 1934. She was laid up and presented to the Chinese Navy in February 1942.

In May 1943 for the first time, the name HMS ''Gannet'' was given to a shore establishment, RNAS (Royal Naval Air Station) Eglington, in Northern Ireland. Their main function was to train naval pilots and aircrew in anti-submarine warfare. HMS ''Gannet'' received Battle Honours for its role in the Atlantic from 1943 until 1945. April 1959 saw Eglington close and the Squadrons moved to [[Derry]] and [[RNAS Ballykelly (HMS Sealion)|Ballykelly]].

The ninth and present HMS ''Gannet'' was established in 1971 at Prestwick Airport in [[Ayrshire]]. Over the years Prestwick has hosted three Naval Air Squadrons: [[814 Naval Air Squadron|814 NAS]], [[824 Naval Air Squadron|824 NAS]] and [[819 Naval Air Squadron|819 NAS]]. 819 was decommissioned in November 2001 after being in residence for 30 years. The [[Search and Rescue|SAR]] flight is the only squadron based at RNAS Prestwick.

In 1998 ''Gannet'' was awarded the [[Wilkinson Sword of Peace]] for services to the local communities.

== RN SAR 60 ==
As one of only two commissioned units of the 10 that have operated within the Royal Navy in the dedicated Search and Rescue role, in 2013, Gannet SAR Flight was a core part of year-long celebrations to recognise [[Royal Navy SAR 60|60 years of RN Helicopter Search and Rescue]]. Events took place throughout the country and media all year, with the RN SAR Force raising £60,000 for charity.

==External links==
* [http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/the-fighting-arms/fleet-air-arm/helicopter-squadrons/sea-king-mk5/hms-gannet Royal Navy — HMS Gannet Search and Rescue Flight]
* [http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and-Events/Special-Events/SAR-60 Royal Navy SAR 60 website]

==References==
<references/>

{{Royal Naval Air Squadrons}}

{{coord missing|South Ayrshire}}

[[Category:1971 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Fleet Air Arm squadrons]]
[[Category:Royal Navy bases in Scotland]]
[[Category:Royal Navy shore establishments]]
[[Category:South Ayrshire]]
[[Category:Aviation in Scotland]]

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