Amid some adverse comment questioning why the Royal Navy sending one of its few high-end air defence platforms to the region, HMS Dauntless is about to begin operations in the Caribbean. Here we outline the sound reasons for this unusual deployment.

In a convoluted process, HMS Dauntless finally completed regeneration following more than 7 years laid up or in refit. She was put through a thorough 9-month work up and trials programme including a FOST package in March and April, sailing on deployment on 23rd May. She crossed the Atlantic, arriving in the US at Naval Station Mayport on 7th June.

Engines

There are several reasons The Royal Navy has chosen to send one of its most advanced combatants to this mostly peaceful region. She is the first of her class to be fitted with new engines and complete the Power Improvement Project (Full details of the PIP here). It is important that the new system is proven on a long deployment covering many miles, as well as tested in the warm ambient air conditions of the Caribbean. This will provide assurance for the remaining ships in the class undergoing PIP that the new arrangement is robust and performs in hot climates, one of the critical weaknesses of the legacy propulsion system.

HMS Daring has also completed the PIP embodiment and is in the final stages of upkeep and certification which will see her rejoin the fleet early in 2024. HMS Dragon is in Portsmouth in the second year of ‘PIPKeep’. Next will be HMS Defender, in addition to the PIP, she will also have her missile capacity increased with an extension to the forward silo to house 24 Sea Ceptor missiles. This complex work package will probably take until mid-late 2026. HMS Diamond and finally HMS Duncan will also undergo the conversion work. Currently, HMS Duncan has just become the flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and is host to an RN Commodore who will lead the task group on operations in the Mediterranean for several months.

Emergencies

HMS Medway, the OPV normally assigned permanently to the Caribbean* has temporarily been sent to the South Atlantic to relieve the Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel. HMS Forth has been in Gibraltar undergoing her first major maintenance period and will eventually head back down south. Dauntless’ presence helps mitigate the temporary absence of the OPV, and provides a more capable platform for disaster relief, should hurricanes strike one of the islands in the region. As is standard, her crew was thoroughly trained in this type of work during her FOST period. Besides visits to the US, the ship is also likely to visit British Overseas Territories for defence engagement purposes and to discuss disaster relief preparedness for the coming hurricane season.

Exercise

UNITAS is the longest-running multinational maritime exercise in the world and in July Dauntless will participate with Central and South American nations in this US-led event. The focus is on building trust and competency in maritime security, disaster relief and non-combatant evacuation operations while fostering transparency and reducing suspicions among nations that may be rivals. Besides the USN and RN, UNITAS participants in 2023 include the navies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Germany and France.

Escort

For the latter part of Dauntless’ deployment, she will act as escort and guard ship for HMS Prince of Wales while she conducts a series of flying trials during the Westlant23 deployment off the eastern seaboard of the US. This will be an opportunity for Dauntless to work up in her primary role of providing air defence for the carrier strike group. Dauntless is likely to be allocated to the CSG held at high readiness for the next couple of years and participate in the CSG25 deployment to the Indo-Pacific. HMS Prince of Wales will leave dry dock in Rosyth in mid-July and return to Portsmouth before sailing for the US sometime in the late Summer.

At ease

For the sake of recruitment and retention, It is important that the RN’s employment offer includes a range of exciting and interesting trips. When not alongside, RN warships operate predominantly around Europe and in the North Atlantic. The forward-deployed OPVs and the ships in the Gulf offer some variety but a trip to the US and Caribbean with memorable runs ashore will be good for morale.

RN vessels in the Caribbean 2000-2023

As the table above demonstrates the RN has maintained a consistent presence in the area going back decades and this has included frigates and Type 42 destroyers – Dauntless’ predecessors. However, the RN has a diminishing number of hulls and further visits by surface combatants to the region will probably be rare. With the RFA similarly stretched and the limited HADR capacity OPVs can offer, there is a good case for a civilian humanitarian aid vessel to be deployed in the Caribbean for a large part of the year.