HMS Medway hosts Caribbean Chiefs of Defence Conference

The UK Chief of Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, has visited Antigua and
Barbuda to attend the second annual Caribbean Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) conference.
The aim of the annual conference is to strengthen defence relationships and
interoperability across the Caribbean region.

The conference was led by the Hon Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and
Barbuda and the current Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The CHODs discussed topics including, responding to natural disasters, the threat
posed by Serious Organised Crime, and opportunities for UK support to regional
defence initiatives.

The final session of the three-day conference was held on HMS Medway, the UK’s
permanent Caribbean patrol ship, which served as a setting to discuss regional
maritime security. This included talks around preparedness for Humanitarian Aid and
Disaster Response (HADR), and UK involvement in regional partnerships.

HMS Medway forms part of the UK’s Caribbean Task Group, which is poised ready to
respond to any natural disaster. RFA Wave Knight, the second ship within the Task
Group, has recently been supporting the US-led disaster relief effort in Haiti through the
provision of fuel and helicopter reconnaissance flights.