The Royal Navy’s RFA Mounts Bay has teamed up with the specialist take-down teams from the US Coast Guard to tackle drug-smuggling in the Caribbean. Credit: US Coast Guard/Luke Pinneo.

The Royal Navy support ship RFA Mounts Bay has joined forces with specialist US take-down teams from the US Coast Guard (USCG), in order to combat drug smuggling in the Caribbean.

USCG drug enforcement experts have been deployed to stop illegal narcotics produced in South and Central America from reaching the US and Canada via the Caribbean.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Using its SH65 Dolphin, the USCG’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical squadRON (HITRON) team identifies drug smugglers – who typically use small speedboats to transfer narcotics – from the air and relays their location to the Legal Enforcement DETachment team (LEDET), which boards suspected drug vessels.

RFA Mounts Bay commanding officer Captain Angus Bissell said: “Having completed our training and integration package with the USCG teams we are very much looking forward to supporting law enforcement and security in the Caribbean.”

"Having completed our training and integration package with the USCG teams we are very much looking forward to supporting law enforcement and security in the Caribbean."

RFA Mounts Bay’s Pacific 24 team had the opportunity to practice using LEDET’s board-and-search vessels in order to get a feel of their speed and manoeuvrability, as well as the ability to disembark quickly. The two allies also simulated targeting drug smugglers using the USCG’s Dolphin helicopter to identify small boats crewed by their own soldiers.

The Bay-class ship, which was built to support the Royal Marines in global operations, has been present in the Caribbean since 2017, and previously provided disaster relief for seasonal hurricanes in the region.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The USCG met up with RFA Mounts Bay towards the end of last year while the Royal Navy ship was undergoing maintenance. During its 1,200-mile deployment to Curaçao, RFA Mounts Bay and the USCG take-down teams spent time learning how to use each other’s equipment.

Naval Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Naval Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Virtualitics has secured the Innovation and Business Expansion awards for its Integrated Readiness Optimization (IRO) suite. Discover how its explainable AI is transforming maintenance, sustainment and mission readiness, giving defence leaders faster, clearer, and more confident operational decisions.

Discover the Impact