THE ROYAL Navy Frigate, HMS GRAFTON, will call into Jamaica between November 15 and 18.
During its four months in the Caribbean, HMS GRAFTON has patrolled in operations to counter narcotics smuggling. With signified seizures of cocaine and marijuana the ship has prevented many millions of pounds worth of drugs reaching their intended destinations. The ship's crew also saved the life of a stranded mariner, airlifting him from the sea to the ship's medical facility and then to Kingston.
In addition to seizures at sea, the ship's modern Lynx helicopter has also been used to fly local law enforcement agents around the various islands for agricultural surveys. These flights have allowed local police and customs agents to destroy many marijuana plantations that are otherwise undetectable from the ground.
But the deployment to the Caribbean has been more than just counter narcotics operations and search and rescue. At every visit the ship's crew has taken time to integrate and train with local navies, coastguard and police forces to help further develop inter-agency co-operation and effectiveness. This will especially be the case in Jamaica where members of the Jamaican Defence Force will sail with HMS GRAFTON on Friday, November 15, to undertake joint training.
In addition, the ship has been prepared to assist in the aftermath of any natural disaster that might happen in the area. With her crew trained in disaster relief operations and the ship carrying specialist stores that may be of use in a variety of emergencies, HMS GRAFTON's presence provides strong evidence of the UK Government's commitment to the region.
The Commanding Officer of HMS GRAFTON, Commander Richard Thomas MBE Royal Navy said: "Our visit to Jamaica will be the culmination of a particularly demanding but rewarding, deployment for everyone onboard GRAFTON. My crew trained hard for this trip to ensure we could react to every eventuality; I think we have achieved this, and more. While our counter narcotics success is important it is not the sole reason we are here. The co-operation and mutual training we have achieved with every island we have visited is as important and, if it enables countries to take a more proactive part in future counter narcotics operations, then it will have proved even more beneficial in the long term."
