Royal Navy: HMS Medway joined by USS Normandy to complete vital air defence exercise in Caribbean Sea

The ship’s company of the Portsmouth-based ship HMS Medway played an integral role in the mission in partnership with Dutch and American forces. USS Normandy, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, was part of the mission alongside the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Thomas Hudner and Netherlands patrol vessel HNLMS Gronigen.

The aim of the exercise was to test their ability to work together in the Caribbean Sea and understand how each other operate on a regular basis. Nations including the UK, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and the United States signed an agreement in 2023 to join forces and maintain security in the US Southern Command’s Area of Responsibility.

Each force frequently shares information with each other as part of the deal. Captain Nathan Diaz, Commanding Officer of USS Normandy, said: “We always look forward to any opportunity to operate alongside partners and allies like the Royal Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy. Exercises such as these provide a great opportunity for Normandy Sailors to improve their skills and work closely with their counterparts from partnered and allied naval forces."

The naval operations involved communication and manoeuvring drills, as well as a combined air defence workout involving aircraft such as a NH90 Neptune helicopter. Sailors assigned to all four ships spent several hours participating on each vessel.

HMS Medway is tasked with completing various operations while deployed in the Caribbean. This can range from intercepting drug smugglers attempting to traffic narcotics across the globe, supporting Commonwealth nations hit by natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis, attending independence ceremonies for these countries and demonstrating how the Royal Navy operates.

The River-class offshore patrol vessel was deployed to the region in October last year, relieving HMS Trent. Royal Navy sailors have since saved rare turtles while clearing up their habitats and offered a hand to citizens on the Turks and Caicos Islands who were affected by Hurricane Oscar.