RFA Mounts Bay is visiting British territories in the region to help them prepare for this year’s storms.
According to a Royal Navy release, the ship is touring UK territories, holding table-top and practical exercises with island authorities and emergency services to help them plan their disaster response – and to reassure them that assistance will be readily available should a hurricane cause widespread devastation.
“Grand Turk was badly affected by Hurricane Irma last autumn; the water supply was disrupted until the marines and engineers fixed the treatment plant.
Mounts Bay has begun her reassurance visits straight after participation in the main naval exercise staged in the Caribbean each year, Tradewinds, with the emphasis in the 2018 iteration on co-ordinating an international response to a major natural disaster in the region.”
Grand Turk, currently enjoying the cruise ship season – the 102,000-tonne Carnival Sunshine (six times the size of Mounts Bay…) brought over 2,500 holidaymakers to the small island, which is roughly one third the size of Portsmouth and home to about 3,700 people say the Royal Navy.
One third the size of Portsmouth?
Is that Portsea island or the size of Portsmouth as defined by council boundary?
Grand Turk is only 6.9 sq mi. But the wider Turks and Caicos totals some 207.2 sq mi.
Grand Turk is tiny. No more than 5 miles north to south, and under 7 sq miles in total area. I was first there in 1996 before the jetty was built. Visiting warships had to cruise up & down the bay as they were not allowed to drop anchor on the coral reef. A very young HMS Argyle visited while I was there. The crew loved the island. I can’t help thinking that it would help recruitment offering more exotic visits for FFs & DDs. Never going to happen with the size of fleet we have, & getting rid of the fourth Bay was a poor decision, from yet another poor government. I must look out the pics of Argyll.
Does the cost of the deployment come from the MoD budget or the International Aid budget. I hope that it is the International Aid budget.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are spread out but individual islands are rather small. Grand Turk is less than seven square miles. No ground water to my knowledge. Portsea Island is less than 10 square miles.
A typical patrol ship is less useful in the Caribbean Sea than something like a landing ship. They should buy a 10-15 thousand ton ship with room for a hangar and large flight deck, plenty of stores for food, water, first aid, etc, and a medium size gun with GPMGs, room for some troops, engineers, etc. Some of the UK territories in the Caribbean are easily wiped out by a hurricane. Not like Bermuda.
I am sorry but i simply do not understand why this is funded by MOD rather than DFID. RFA Argus’ role in Sierra Leone is probably the most stark exampme recently for a change on approach.
Is the DFID paying for this, or the MOD?
DFIDs should 100% pay for all costs related to this deployment including any disaster relief operations.
Also they should pay for a new “Helicopter Relief Operations” ship. This HRO will be Ocean’s replacement fully funded including operational costs by DFIDs and thus support the RN with an auxillary aircraft carrier/ LPH.
30,000 tons, 300-400 crew + flight crew and accomodation for 1000 troops or rescued civilians.
RFA doing the navy’s job… As usual
And they are getting paid for it as well!