The UK government has deployed the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Trent to Jamaica to assist with disaster relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Defence and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
HMS Trent, which arrived in storm-hit Falmouth on Tuesday, is carrying a crew of 75, including specialist engineers who will work alongside Jamaican authorities on infrastructure assessments and emergency repairs.
The ship also carries drones and two rigid inflatable Zodiac boats used to transport personnel and equipment ashore. According to the Ministry of Defence, the vessel’s engineering teams will focus on supporting recovery operations and restoring critical infrastructure in affected communities.
Defence Secretary John Healey said, “I’m proud of our British Armed Forces for the important role they play in disaster relief missions. Our Royal Navy and British Army personnel will support their civilian colleagues with specialist engineering expertise to assist local recovery efforts – as Britain steps up to support those in need.”
Minister for the Caribbean Chris Elmore said, “UK government teams have been working around the clock to get relief supplies to those hardest hit by the hurricane, and the Royal Navy’s HMS Trent has arrived to assist with local recovery efforts.” He added that British personnel were working to restore essential services for communities affected by the storm.
The deployment follows the UK’s wider aid package to Jamaica, which includes more than 3,000 shelter kits and 1,500 solar-powered lanterns for households that lost power. A Foreign Office Rapid Deployment Team is also in the country to support British nationals and coordinate with local agencies.
HMS Trent is one of five River-class Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels built in the UK and forms part of the Royal Navy’s regular presence in the Caribbean, conducting both humanitarian relief operations and counter-narcotics patrols. The ship had been stationed in the Turks and Caicos Islands before being redirected to Jamaica at the request of the Jamaican government.
Do we still own Jamaca ?
Could we not sort of give it away with a few Billion ££££’s
Look, I didn’t start all this.
The River class batch II have been a real god send for operating in environments like the Caribbean and South Pacific where a modern frigate would be a total waste of money.
It’s still a real pitty though that we did not go a little further and put a hangar on them.
I guess they could retrofit a telescopic hanger.
Given Lancaster’s possible replacement with a River 2 it’s worth a small bet that one or two of these ships could be upgraded with a Wildcat and a 40mm into a makeshift GP ‘frigate’.
They already can carry Wildcat and they also mount a 30mm Gun so actually not much of an upgrade there Paul, personally I’d like to see a few Coranades and some Grapling hooks and a sharpshooter in the Crowsnest, maybe a Jolly Roger fluttering in the wind.
“Hey diddle Dee Dee, a Pirates life for me ! 🏴☠️
Roger the cabin boy 😁
Got to go, there’s been a massive explosion next door, sparks flying everywhere. 🎇
The Royal Thai Navy’s variant of the River batch 2 is armed with a 76mm Oto Melera and one of them has Harpoon anti ship missiles though the missiles do appear to take up the space the crane takes up on ours.
Navylookout did an article a while back on options for R2 enhancement. It looks as if the RN is hoping the T23s don’t fall apart before the new frigates come into service. 🙏
A 76mm and 4 NSM plus an armed VTOL Drone would give them decent enough armament.
Checkout the article. If we did it we would choose the 57mm. A better curve ball option would be to replace the batch 1s with something like Khareef, bit bigger and maybe with a quiet electric drive for ASW. But reading the Runes it looks like drones are the future and the batch 1s will be replaced by a Kongsberg Vanguard design.
The 57mm is a good gun ideal for close quarters air defense and dealing with small boats but I feel the 76mm is better for fire support.
I did do a design variant GA of the Batch II with a fixed hangar.
Previously in hurricane session we sent a nice big RFA.. because they are more useful for disaster management.. you want a deep well and big deck.
Shows how stretched the RN is that it doesn’t have a bay class spare for the mission, especially considering it’s the worst hurricane in a very long time.
Whilst I understand the decision to cut the albions, they should probably have been kept until the solid storage ships arrive, as they also could have been an option for aid support.
Also surely this would be a far better use for the carriers than whatever pr stunt they are upto right now. Would have been great publicity/recruitment images of waves of helicopters off the carriers carrying in supplies.
I read somewhere that the sale of Albion is ‘on ice’.
It’s a cost issue I suspect.. if we look at bulwark she cost 75million in refit between 22-25 to be ready for return to service.. yet she was sold for 20million pounds… this was a completely destructive waste of taxpayers money.. as she could have been returned to service as she will be in a few months… but Albion needs a full refit before she can be returned to service.. so if Brazil are only willing to pay 20million it’s essentially pointless.. but the UK government cannot now turn around and refit and recommission Albion at a cost of 75 million after selling her sister ship for 20 million that they had just paid 75 million to refit… that would look like an utter shit show in regards to having just spaffed 55 million for no reason.
The numbers might be made to make sense if we let Argus go to Brazil instead.
Also, might sound a bit daft but if you put a 57mm and a few CAMM on Albion you have made a start on your MRSS ‘strike frigates’.
Of course, once we used a Wave with RM det and helicopters to reach striken areas and bring in food.
Try that with this Mr Healey and your “Britain stepping up” grabdstanding.
It’s relentless.
Yep the rivers are not really the right ship for hurricane season… they don’t carry enough stuff or have the right small ships flight.
Isn’t at least one Bay class vessel nominally available for deployment?
Last I read one of three is in use somewhere else.
HMG great at telling the world how we are stepping up, in a dozen places at once with a solitary asset..
God, how I despise them all.
Waves had a reverse osmosis system to produce clean water which would be useful out there right now
I do think the Rivers have been useful, although truly under equipped for a vessel of their size. The Leanders were not a great deal bigger than the batch 2s. However when is really needed there at the moment is the likes of RFA Argus, or HMS Albion/Bulwark (now awaiting sale/disposal or even one of the Fort class RFAs. They could all carry Merlins and with a larger crew provide much more support to a country we need to support. How have we come to this?
Trent is “Merlin Capable”.
I thought the RN always had a decent size vessel stationed near the Caribbean, during Hurricane season?
They do, in the main pic you can see a River 2 and a Swarm of RHIB’s.
(Don’t mention Swarm, I mentioned it earlier, think I got away with it)👀
That was so three years ago.
Would have been a great spot for a large amphib… But since that’s not happening… One just has to make do.
The Royal Navy has 2 helicopter assault ships that Labour is axing to save money from the Defence budget. On 20th November 2024, the Labour Defence Secretary announced that HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark would be axed. Brazil is falling over itself to buy these ships at discount prices.
I have posted before instead of doing this I suggest Labour re-assign these ships from the MoD, to the Foreign Office and their Foreign Aid budget.
In contrast to the useless HMS Trent patrol ship the navy has in the area, these ships would be perfect for providing real emergency help to countries hit by disasters such as Jamaica is now experiencing.
True
They were effectively paid up before the election, the conservatives were just delaying the decision to cut them, that decision had been on the cards for years and really would have been made regardless of who won.
What is HMS Medway up to? I read that Trent relieved Medway a few weeks ago, but not what it’s doing now.
Bit of a missed opportunity to do something good, and to win friends back. If only the UK could have deployed some larger scale help, and to other counties in the region when they needed it (e.g. Antigua). I’m sure some UK-badged help would have gone a long way to encourage old friends to view the UK more favourably and widen its diplomatic efforts. Good for RN recruitment efforts too.
dopey posturing