UK Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting the Caribbean region during 2023 hurricane season as he visited the Cayman Islands this week.
Heappey, during his 24 hour visit, held talks with the Governor Jane Owen and Premier Wayne Panton.
The Minister, who was also on hand for Monday’s King’s Birthday celebrations said in a UK government release that the deployment of the Royal Navy’s most advanced destroyer ship HMS Dauntless for disaster relief support demonstrates “commitment to the safety and stability of the Caribbean and the British Overseas Territories, both in response to natural disasters and countering organised crime”.
The release said the ship and her company will shortly begin patrols, providing a first-response capability during the coming hurricane season as well as working and exercising with local services and authorities in the region.
The crew will also work with the US Coast Guard and other agencies to counter illicit trafficking in the Caribbean Sea.
Heappey, speaking in a Cayman Islands Government TV report, said the UK knows “how challenging” hurricane season is for communities across the Caribbean.
“We know that no one ever knows at the start of the season whether this is the one where the big hurricane comes and therefore we understand the anxiety that governments across the Caribbean have to know that there’s a UK Royal Navy asset in the region to support you should the worst happen,” he said.
Heappey, who visited with the Coast Guard and Regiment while on island, said HMS Dauntless is an “incredibly capable ship” equipped with a helicopter, a number of launches and a fantastic crew.
The UK release said the minister discussed ongoing work to improve the capacity and resilience of the Cayman Islands – including the Coast Guard and the Cayman Islands Regiment – while remaining steadfastly by their side in times of emergency.
He told CIGTV that it was an “incredible achievement” by the Cayman Islands to generate a regiment with so much competence so quickly.
“The UK [Ministry of Defence] is so proud to be supporting that regiment and will continue to do so, but we shouldn’t be taking the credit. What’s incredible is that your government and your people have raised that regiment so quickly and so soon into its life it already has such an incredible range of capabilities,” Heappey said.
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