Provided by The Royal Bahamas Defence Force Public Relationship
In keeping with the Global Security Collaborative Framework and Commander Defence Force, Commodore Dr. Raymond King’s strategic intent in strengthening joint relationships with its regional and international partnerships, Commodore King attended the UK- Chief of Defence Staff (CHoDs’) in Antigua from 1- 3 September, 2021 to share best practices and to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Accompanied by his Aide, Sub Lieutenant Delroy Dennis, the sessions also included General SirNick Carter; Gen Chief of Defence Staff, United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland;
Major General C S Collins, General Officer Commanding 1st UK Division; Lieutenant Colonel Simon Westlake Royal Marines United Kingdom’s Defence Attaché to the Caribbean; and Commander Brian Trim MBE RN Commander task Group. Also in attendance were countries with various Chiefs of Defence Staff, in particular; Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and defence and security partners across the region, who took part virtually, and shared their views on global security and joint partnerships. They all agreed on several initiatives with training and education designed to improve collective capacity to deal with the diverse security challenges that confront the region.
The inaugural conference convened virtually in November 2020, with each of the regional Chiefs of Defence. This second conference focused on building on the success of the virtual event in strengthening the UK-Caribbean relationships, and developing concepts for UK engagement
with its Caribbean partners on issues of mutual interest.
The three-day conference commenced with an ice-breaker reception and concert at Blizzard Camp, hosted by Antigua and Barbuda (ATG) – Chief of Defence Staff Colonel Telbert Benjamin, and joined by the Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams. The core conference which took place on September 2nd, began with an opening ceremony, supported by the Prime Minister of ATG, Sir Gaston Browne.
In the first core session, UK- Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland General Sir Nick Carter set out the UK perspective on the strategic context, informed by the recently concluded Integrated Review (IR) and Defence Command Plan (DCP). The three individual sessions covered issues of serious organized crime threats; regional initiatives and the implications for UK Defence engagement; and natural threats. The UK- CDS expressed his ambition to use the conference as a vehicle for institutional capacity building, military capability development, training and education, doctrine, and concepts.
These are ways to maximize collective security development with focused UK engagement while better constructing an approach that matches the region’s aspirations and requirements. The final session of the three-day conference was held aboard HMS MEDWAY, River Class Offshore Patrol Vessel built on the Clyde. This permanent Caribbean patrol ship was deployed to the Caribbean to support disaster relief and conduct counter-trafficking operations as an alternative setting for a maritime security focused discussion. It served as a setting to discuss regional maritime security, which included talks around preparedness for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Response (HADR), and UK involvement in regional partnerships.
More photo highlights below:
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Commodore Raymond King, the Commander Defence Force, presenting his
country’s brief on board HMS MEDWAY, during the second Caribbean Chiefs of Defence Staff
conference in Antigua. (Photo courtesy Mr. Wayne Mariette) -
Commodore Raymond King, Commander of the Royal
Bahamas Defence Force; Brigadier General Steven Andrew Ortega, Commander Belize Defence
Force; Lieutenant General Rocky R Meade, Chief of Defence Staff, Jamaica Defence Force;
Brigadier Godfrey Bess Chief of Staff, Guyana Defence Force; Air Vice Marshal Darryl Daniel
Chief of Defence Staff, Trinidad and Tobago Defence Forces: In the front row; Colonel Telbert
Benjamin, Commander of Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force and General Sir Nick Carter,
General Chief of Defence Staff, United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. (Photo courtesy Mr. Wayne Mariette) -
Participants at the UK- second Caribbean Chief of Defence Staff (CHoDs’) in
Antigua, 1- 3 September, 2021. (Photo courtesy Mr. Wayne Mariette)
