From 10 to 12 September, the overseas support and assistance vessel (BSAOM) Dumont d’Urville took part in the Dutch exercise WINDWARD off the island of Saba, a Dutch possession located in the north of the Lesser Antilles.
During her deployment, Dumont d’Urville conducted navigation and towing exercises in company with the Royal Netherlands Navy patrol vessel Pelikaan.
These exercises provided excellent training for both crews, who carried out high-level cooperation actions.
Like the ANTILLEX and CYCLONEX exercises carried out by the Armed Forces in the Antilles (FAA) and the 33rd Marine Infantry Regiment (33rd RIMa), WINDWARD is a Dutch exercise that prepares the response to a natural disaster that could strike the islands of the Netherlands Antilles (Sint-Marteen, Bonaire, Saba, Curaçao, Saint-Eustache) during the hurricane season, in support of the populations.
The participation of the Dumont d’Urville in this exercise thus contributes to improving interoperability in the event of a natural disaster between the FAA and the Dutch forces, which constitute a key partner in the Caribbean region.
The Armed Forces in the Antilles constitute a leading joint force in the Caribbean. Based in Martinique and Guadeloupe, nearly 1,000 soldiers guarantee the protection of the national territory and their presence provides France with significant operational capabilities, which can be deployed at short notice, to respond to a security crisis or carry out assistance operations for populations affected by a natural disaster in the Caribbean Sea. The air-maritime component of the FAA regularly participates in missions relating to State action at sea, in particular the fight against illicit trafficking and the protection of the marine environment. The FAA develops military cooperation with its allies and partners in the Caribbean region.