The Portsmouth-based destroyer has been positioned to the Caribbean since May and provide a prominent safety presence collaborating with allies and associates and refuting the narcotics trade, has visited island people to encourage and carry out effort to reduce the risk of extensive damage during a storm.
The Type 45 destroyer finalized work in the Bahamas former in the positioning but her most current patrol of the Caribbean Sea took her to Britons in the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat have all furthered from the assurance and suggestions of support from Dauntless’ troop during the newest stage of the Type 45 destroyer’s patrol, while the sailors have detained the explore these tropical islands.
It has been a massively insightful to visit the United Kingdom’s foreign territories in the Caribbean, said HMS Dauntless’ Commanding Officer, Commander Ben Dorrington.
By appealing with the local establishments, we are able to have a better knowledge of how we would offer backing in the event of a natural disaster.
The Royal Navy is a consistent presence in the province during hurricane season and has frequently come to assistance the communities in need in the wake of critical storms.
Previous year, HMS Medway and RFA Tideforce transported drinking water and made maintenances as the Turks and Caicos Islands recovered from harm caused by Hurricane Fiona and, earlier to that, RFA Wave Knight reinforced the international relief following Haiti’s shocking earthquake in 2021.
It isn’t just restricted to Caribbean islands: RFA Argus aided disaster relief efforts in Honduras after Storm Eta cleared the Central American nation in 2020.
Previously to that RFA Mounts Bay was in the province for two years and, especially, was at the heart of Operation Ruman, the military sustenance to people affected by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The ship continuously patrolled throughout 2018 and was involved in relief efforts after Hurricane Dorian in 2019 before passing duties over to RFA Argus.
Now it’s HMS Dauntless and her crew who position ready to respond if the worst were to occur.
In the British Virgin Islands, the Charitable and Disaster Relief Team from Dauntless presented personnel from the island’s calamity management committee to converse planning for a combined response to a hurricane and other natural disasters.
The British Virgin Islands break comprised visiting Virgin Gorda where the distinct huge rocks in the national park formulate attractive above-ground caves. The ship’s football team also played against a resident team, losing 2-1.
The ship navigated east to the volcanic island of Montserrat, where the HADR squad met Royal Montserrat Defense Force staffs for preparing and to look at actions against natural disasters, as well as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and hurricanes or tropical storms that could possibly influence the island.
A expedition of the once-bustling capital, Plymouth, provided a unadorned reminder of the authority and danger of Mother Nature.
The hazard of a volcanic eruption on Montserrat – recognized as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean for its lush undergrowth – never goes away.
When long-dormant Soufrière Hills volcano flare up in 1995, it demolished the island’s airport, reduced the capital Plymouth uninhabitable and encouraged two thirds of Montserrat’s populace to flee.
Now the island’s lingering population have imprinted out new lives in northern Montserrat, constructed a new airport and recognized a new capital (Brades) – but they endure to live in the shadow of the volcano… which endures to burn.
A HADR exercise took place, with associates of the ship’s company, Royal Marines and associates of the RMDF mountaineering across steep mountain roads 16km from Plymouth to Little Bay in directive to deliver assistance, undertaking extreme heat and severe downpours along the way.
Able Rating Alejandro Stewart-Barreiro, informed, the appointment was a great occasion for our ship’s concern to travel somewhere new and also to take part in the exhausting climb in challenging conditions.
The island is not a place many people have heard of, and to encounter the Royal Montserrat Defense Force made for a great connection HADR exercise. The walk was certainly not easy, particularly walking up what the Montserrat personnel labeled as ‘Death Hill’.
At the start of the hike, being released within the exclusion zone of the volcanic island, you could see first-hand the leftovers of the structures demolished by the 1997 volcanic eruption; that was a big eye opener.”
While the HADR exercise took place, Cdr Dorrington and three of the ship’s company involved with school children, giving them awareness into the life in the armed forces and skills at sea.
