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 and home to the Network Rail Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme and the EDF Energy engineering maintenance apprenticeship. 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.

Cancelled closure

A Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, indicated that the Ministry of Defence intended 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. In March 2019, the Ministry of Defence announced that closure would be delayed to 2029 at the earliest. However, in December 2022, the Ministry of Defence announced that the closure had been reversed and HMS Sultan was to remain open. An MOD spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we are retaining HMS Sultan for which we have an enduring requirement."

First World War

Inter war years

Second World War

Cold War

Additional units posted to HMS Sultan

• 705 Naval Air Squadron reformed here on 7 May 1947 as the Helicopter Fleet Requirements Unit with Sikorsky Hoverfly, Saunders-Roe Skeeter 3, Westland WS-51 Dragonfly, Hiller HT.1, Westland Whirlwind staying until 1 November 1955 • 706 Naval Air Squadron between 7 September and 30 October 1953 with the Hiller HT.1 and the Whirlwind HAS.2 • 707 Naval Air Squadron between 14 August 1945 and 1 October when the squadron was disbanded • 708 Naval Air Squadron between 15 January and 6 September 1945 with the Blackburn Firebrand and Supermarine Seafire • 720 Naval Air Squadron between 27 May 1948 and 5 January 1950 when the squadron disbanded with Anson I and Airspeed Oxford I • 727 Naval Air Squadron between 23 April 1946 and 17 January 1950 with various aircraft including the Harvard and the Fairey Firefly • 764 Naval Air Squadron reformed here on 19 February 1944 with the Barracuda II and Avenger II until 1 September 1945 when the squadron was disbanded • 771 Naval Air Squadron between 12 and 14 September 1945 with Seafires • 778 Naval Air Squadron between 9 August 1945 and 3 January 1946 with Supermarine Sea Otter's, Barracuda's and Seafires • 799 Naval Air Squadron between 17 December 1945 and 23 April 1946 with various aircraft • 800 Naval Air Squadron • 801 Naval Air Squadron • 802 Naval Air Squadron • 803 Naval Air Squadron • 807 Naval Air Squadron • 809 Naval Air Squadron • 810 Naval Air Squadron • 811 Naval Air Squadron • 812 Naval Air Squadron • 813 Naval Air Squadron • 820 Naval Air Squadron • 821 Naval Air Squadron • 822 Naval Air Squadron • 823 Naval Air Squadron • 824 Naval Air Squadron • 825 Naval Air Squadron • 833 Naval Air Squadron • 845 Naval Air Squadron • 848 Naval Air Squadron • 882 Naval Air Squadron • 887 Naval Air Squadron • 892 Naval Air Squadron • 894 Naval Air Squadron • 1846 Naval Air Squadron • 1850 Naval Air Squadron The following units were also posted here at some point: • No. 401 Air Stores Park • No. 401 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 402 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 403 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 404 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 405 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 406 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 407 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 408 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 421A (Fleet Spotter) Flight • No. 421B (Fleet Spotter) Flight • No. 440 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 441 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 441 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 442 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 442 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 443 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 443 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 443A (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 446 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 447 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 448 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 449 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 3206 Servicing Commando • The Fleet Air Arm Maintenance Unit • The School of Air Sea Rescue RAF

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:

Cadets

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

Citations