NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2007 25
ean sun broaches the horizon the helicopters take off. As night’s
the sea the helicopters stay in the dark sky. Air assault ship HMS
rug patrol in the Central Caribbean, watching the skies and the seas
running their deadly trade between South America and the Caribbean
aven reports from HMS Ocean as Operation Rum Chaser is in full
in two theatres, Iraq and Afghanistan – those passed south of Jamaica before hitting the Central
ple are delivering things for the UK every day American nation of Honduras remains at the front
ometimes if you’re not there in theatre, it can of people’s minds.
quite difficult. And particularly in Montserrat where the Naval
But something like this – taking drugs out of helicopters flew the island’s governors and survey
ulation, disrupting the drug flow as well, is a teams over the still-smoking volcano at the island’s
e reassurance for people.” heart which grumbles menacingly of a possible
And reassurance for people is what Ocean has explosion.
n supplying in spades... But it is the work with the US Coast Guard and
Not only has she made two major drug busts the American JIATF that has caught the attention
ing her stint in the Caribbean, and slowed the of the public back in the UK.
ular drug route by air between South America The two big busts for the warship – one in
the Caribbean to almost standstill, but she has her first week of anti-drug patrols and one in her
re than found time for her primary tasking as third – have taken over £50 million of street value
– reassurance to British overseas territories in narcotics out of the market, not to mention the
the Caribbean. impact of her presence on the drug cartels’ regular
The assault ship’s four-month deploy- runs across the Caribbean sea.
ment to the Caribbean has seen her flying And the credit is shared by all on board the war-
the flag throughout the islands as well as to ship, ops officer Lt Cdr Simon Rogers said: “It’s
the shores of the US beyond. teamwork. It’s a huge operation on here to make
A planned ten-day stop in Norfolk, sure that it all comes together.
Virginia, extended to almost three “Nothing would work if each different section of
weeks when a diesel generator needed the ship didn’t work together.”
some attention. But all the time along- He acknowledges that Ocean is one small ele-
side was put to good use by the men ment in the overall war on drugs: “Information
and women who make up the ship’s came in from the squadrons’ helicopters airborne,
company of HMS Ocean. Ocean’s own sensors and radars, from other US
The massive warship hosted the big- Coast Guard aircraft flying and from JIATF.
gest Defence Export Sales event in the US, “The US warned us that an aircraft was com-
where the two Merlin HM1 of 700M NAS ing our way. We told our ASaC where to look. It
w admiring glances. found it and passed the location back down to
The Merlin has been chosen to become the us. We launched our aircraft and landing craft in
w helicopter for the US President’s own flight good time.
rine One, and 700M showed off its prowess not “All that we provide is one piece of the jigsaw
y in Norfolk but further afield at the Pentagon for their overall effort.”
apt audiences. Although a long way from home, the men and
n a combination of port visits and ‘drive-by’ women on HMS Ocean and in the two squadrons
omacy, HMS Ocean made reassuring calls to are proud to be doing their bit to prevent drugs
islands of Trinidad, Montserrat, and the British from coming to British shores.
gin Island of Tortola, to name but a few...
Pictures from top left: HMS Ocean sails from
And the islands have welcomed the warship and
Devonport in February at the start of her four-
company with open arms – and a raft of sport-
month deployment; a Sea King ASaC from
challenges which has resulted in more people
854 NAS on the deck with a 700M Merlin in
ping than the tangled roots of the West African
the background; US Marine Corps Sea Knight
gle during October’s Vela deployment.
CH46 helicopters worked with the Royal Navy
Hurricane season began as Ocean patrolled the
on board Ocean; a tail rotor from an embarked
ibbean beat, and the islanders keep a wary
ASaC; the volcano on the Caribbean island of
on the tropical storms that can fester into full
Montserrat shrouded by its own smoke; HMS
wn hurricane.
Ocean – with the biggest flightdeck in the RN
The Navy’s help when Hurricane Mitch in 1998
ot) Ray Jones
0023-027_NN_aug07.indd 323-027_NN_aug07.indd 3 118/7/07 16:03:518/7/07 16:03:51
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