Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent has arrived in the Caribbean ready to offer assistance as needed during hurricane season.
The 90-metre River-class OPV, usually based out of Gibraltar and last on patrol on the other side of the Atlantic in 2024, is taking over from sister ship HMS Medway, as per a recent Royal Navy press statement.
Embarked on HMS Trent is the Crisis Response Troop of 24 Commando Royal Engineers, which specialise in helping communities get back on their feet after being hit by storm damage.
Typical tasks might include clearing and repairing roads, and reconstructing other elements of vital infrastructure, such as facilities supplying water and power.
Commanding Officer of HMS Trent Commander Gavin Lowe said: “It is great to be back. Every member of Trent’s Ship’s Company is excited to return to the Caribbean. I am looking forward to continuing the Royal Navy’s excellent record in the region.
“I would also like to thank Medway for the great work she has done, standing on guard during the hurricane season this year, and for providing us with a well-trained team of augmentees.
“Trent is ready to work with our allies, partners, and the overseas territories throughout the rest of the hurricane season.
“We are prepared to provide humanitarian assistance, work with the United States Coast Guard to counter the illegal drug trade, and to show the best of Britain during our engagement visits in the region.”
The OPV is deployed to the Caribbean and North Atlantic as part of Atlantic Patrol Tasking (North), the Royal Navy’s standing commitment to the region in support of the United Kingdom’s Overseas Territories.
HMS Trent was one of five River-class OPVs built by BAE Systems in the 2010s; she initially took part in the NATO operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean, and also deployed to the Black Sea for training with Ukrainian and allied navies in Operation Orbital in 2021.
She spent time deployed off west Africa in the Gulf of Guinea ahead of her previous Caribbean duties in 2023 and 2024, which in September 2024 included successfully intercepting a ‘narco sub’ south of the Dominican Republic which was attempting to smuggle cocaine with a street value of £160m.
- You can read more details on the Royal Navy website