There is tremendous admiration and pride for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and our armed services for their incredible work in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of the hurricanes in the Caribbean in late 2017.
Britannia Maritime Aid’s proposal is to capitalise on this expertise with a permanent UK and Commonwealth presence in the Caribbean while also addressing the shortage of much needed sea berths for young seafarers to gain the crucial maritime skills and experience they need to survive and succeed at sea.
Our Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief vessel will sail under the command of a British Merchant Navy Captain with a permanent crew, professional first response personnel, NGO staff and young people in development.
The ship will be specifically equipped to provide immediate disaster relief, providing a strategic base for co-ordinating disaster response, as well as hospital berths and stores of food, water and first response equipment which are so vital in the hours and days immediately after a natural disaster.
The ship will also be capable of providing immediate field kitchens and on-board facilities to feed those made homeless.
It will be equipped with a medical centre, landing craft and helicopter and UAV capabilities and substantial cargo space for earth moving equipment, aid shipments, and able to operate either in isolation or within a task force.
I therefore warmly welcome initiatives such as yours, which is clearly intended to showcase the best of British
Outside these emergencies, the ship will deliver UK aid cargoes to the region and infrastructure projects and skills training to local communities by use of on-board experts assisted by trainee personnel. The vessel will concentrate on ocean advocacy projects, providing a versatile platform for ocean and beach clean-ups, oceanographic research and waste management.
The Ship’s complement will include a significant number of personnel from Commonwealth countries; there will also be training and experience for non-maritime apprentices within aid and disaster relief teams.
The ship will offer secure military communications capabilities, press and conference facilities, maritime environmental research capabilities and the opportunity for UK charities and volunteers to carry out planned repair and construction projects in local communities. Our vessel will also help promote British and Commonwealth trade in the Atlantic basin.
Our team have immense experience ranging across a diverse range of maritime sectors from naval and defence to merchant shipping, training, cruise and ferry operations and container shipping.
