• Minister for the Armed Forces meets leaders in the Cayman Islands to discuss hurricane relief and regional security concerns.
• Royal Navy ship HMS Dauntless has deployed from Portsmouth to the Caribbean to support the British Overseas Territories during the upcoming hurricane season.

The Minister for the Armed Forces, Rt Hon James Heappey MP, has visited the Caribbean in a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the Overseas Territories.

In the Cayman Islands, the minister held talks with the Governor, Jane Owen, and the Premier, Wayne Panton.

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.

HMS Dauntless, the UK’s most advanced destroyer, has also recently deployed to the region to support British Overseas Territories during hurricane season and counter drugs trafficking in the region.

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. She will also work with the US Coast Guard and other agencies to counter illicit trafficking in the Caribbean Sea.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Rt Hon James Heappey MP said:

The deployment of HMS Dauntless is a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the safety and stability of the Caribbean and the British Overseas Territories, both in response to natural disasters and countering organised crime.