UK pulls naval fleet out of caribbean due to funding cuts

Colm Imbert suggested to Parliament on Wednesday that the United Kingdom is pulling its naval vessels out of the Caribbean in retaliaton for a decision by the People's Paartnership government to cancel contracts to buy offshore patrol boats from a British supplier.

"This is just an example of what countries will do to you when you interfere with them," the former Works and Transport Minister said.

"I will not be surprised if the withdrawal of the Royal Navy from the Caribbean Sea is not a reaction to our reneging as a country on the contract we had with the British government for the acquisition of offshore patrol vessels," Imbert added.

However his assertion is not supported by Britain's reason for its decision.

The UK Guardian newspaper reported on Monday that “Britain is to abandon its warship patrols of the Caribbean for the first time since the Second World War because of the navy’s funding crisis.”

The Guardian reported that the withdrawal means that the navy will no longer provide a warship for anti-narcotic operations in the region, and will have to reduce its role in disaster relief work. 

However there is nothing to suggest that the government's decision has any relation to the OPV matter.

The British government is reviewing its overall security operations due to a lack of funding for strategic defence and security.

Under the review, the paper said, the services will lose personnel and equipment, with the navy surface fleet of destroyers and frigates being reduced from 23 to 19.

The navy's Caribbean patrol was originally set up to guard British dependencies in the West Indies. In recent years, it has taken up a joint role countering drug runners and coping with humanitarian disasters during the hurricane season.

The navy operates with ships from other countries, including the US, the Netherlands and France. Its patrols in the area have made a significant impact on drug trafficking.

A spokesman from the Minister of Defence told the Guardian, "The Royal Navy will continue to provide a permanent presence in the Caribbean, able to respond to the full range of potential events including humanitarian disaster relief operations. During 2011 this will be provided by a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, enhanced with a naval party and helicopter during the core hurricane season."