British Navy ship leaves as cop choppers return

(CNS): The RCIPS helicopters are back in the air and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship Argus is back at sea, after the UK navy had stepped in to support the local police while the choppers were undergoing maintenance. Equipped with both a Merlin and a Wildcat helicopter, during its two-week stay the Argus provided air cover for Cayman and its troops took part in disaster management and other exercises.

The navy choppers carried out familiarisation flights to identify possible landing spots for their disaster management plans but were on also on hand for a sizeable drug seizure at the beginning of their stint, provided aerial surveillance of a number of road traffic incidents and, more recently, lent support to the rescue of some kayakers, officials said in a release from the governor’s office.

The rescue took place last Thursday as the machines were flying back to the ship, but within minutes of receiving the distress call the crews were able to find the missing people and direct marine units to the scene.

Petty Officer Air Crewman Lee Niall said the crew was able to get there quickly. “Search and rescue is something we can always assist with, even when on other taskings. We can react fast, so we are always ready to help with rescues if needed,” he added.

Meanwhile, members of the 24 Commando Royal Engineers troop on board participated in an exercise on Colliers Beach and have more recently been using their combat engineering skills to help with some maintenance work at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park. The work at the park was to clear an invasive species of Logwood from parts of the botanical gardens’ fence line to prevent the green iguana from entering the gardens.

All the members of the team are combat engineers but they also specialise in additional skills, which would make them excellent support following a hurricane or similar natural disaster, officials stated.

“This was good practice for our chainsaw operators who might be needed to clear routes and landing sites, and we have quad bikes, generators and other equipment we can use to provide disaster relief,” said Sapper Kieran McMann. “In my team there are soldiers with different trades ranging from signaller to electrician, plumber and even bricklayers. Conditions were hard in the park and the troop worked long hours in the heat but they were glad of the chance to hone their skills.”

John Lawrus, General Manager of the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park, said the troop “put in an incredible amount of work clearing fence lines, helping remove the possibility for invasive species, such as the green iguanas, to make it back into the Botanic park, and generally providing an incredible asset to us here in the community”.

Meanwhile the Royal Marines aboard have been carrying out exercises with the Cayman Islands Coast Guard to ensure it is ready if required for counter-drugs trafficking and disaster relief operations. The green beret marines are crucial to the operation to quickly land supplies, emergency aid and the crisis response troop.

Governor Martyn Roper thanked the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy for their support over the last couple of weeks.

“It is a signal of the UK’s commitment to the security of the Overseas Territories and a reassuring presence during hurricane season,” Roper said. “It’s been a good opportunity to learn and understand the capabilities of the new ships and in particular how the helicopters would provide us with the support we might need in a post-hurricane scenario.

“COVID-19 has interfered with some of the usual visits and tours that would normally be run to help us with that learning process but we have put virtual meetings and videos to good use,” he added.