HMS Manchester is due to visit Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines from today, October 26, as part of her deployment to the Caribbean region.{{more}}

HMS Manchester’s visit from October 26 to 29 coincides with the Independence Day Celebrations taking place on October 27 and the Ship will supply a Guard of Honour for the parade.

HMS Manchester has 4 Vincentians serving onboard who will be able to spend some time with their families and show them around the ship. As a finale, the families have been invited to spend a day at sea with HMS Manchester so that they can see at firsthand the capabilities of a Type 42 Destroyer.

During the visit the Vincentian Police Force will take the opportunity carry out training with HMS Manchester’s Ship’s Company. The training will include sessions covering engineering, medical and search and boarding techniques.

HMS Manchester’s Ship’s Company will challenge local teams at both football and rugby. A small group from the football team is also looking forward to conducting a grassroots football coaching session for a group of 40 children at Arnos Vale playing field. The ship will also host a visit for disadvantaged boys from Liberty Lodge; they will be given a tour of the ship and will be able to get a feel for what life is like onboard a Royal Navy Warship.

Since deploying to the Caribbean in May HMS Manchester has carried out operations in support of British Overseas Territories. The ship was close by and able to offer support in the aftermath of Hurricanes Earl and Igor that passed close to the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda respectively. As part of her role in Counter Narcotics operations, the ship has been working closely with the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (South) based in Key West and an embarked US Coastguard Law Enforcement Detachment team. The joint aim is to stem the flow of illegal narcotics through the Caribbean and onwards into the USA and Europe. A notable success was the recent interception of a 240 kg consignment of cocaine off the Colombian coast.