Originally Posted by Out Of Trim
There is usually an RN Frigate on a drug running interception patrol in the Caribean. Surely, that could be diverted to help in the search also!
RFA Wave Knight returned to the UK on 25 April after a 15-month Atlantic Patrol Task (North) deployment in the Caribbean having been joined by HMS Lancaster May to Dec 2013 straddling the hurricane season.
Owing to...
- Refits and other maintenance periods
- Post-deployment recovery time (last year was particularly busy)
- Exercises and training commitments (JOINT WARRIOR, PERISHER courses, PWO firings, etc.)
- D-Day 70 commemorations and similar
- RFTG (Response Force Task Group) preps for its COUGAR 14 deployment
- FRE (Fleet Ready Escort) rqmts
- Current blue water deployments in the South Atlantic, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden (EU NAVFOR's ATALANTA), patrols off Somalia, etc.
...I suspect none of the RN's 19 DD/FF has been available to sail for the western Atlantic in the interim.