The Cayman Islands Coast Guard is the maritime security and

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

agency of the

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

of the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

. It was formed in late 2018 under the umbrella of the

Royal Cayman Islands Police Service The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is the standing police force of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. The police force was formed in 1907 and currently (2009) stands at 343 enlisted off ...

and was officially made as its own entity in 2021.

History

In 2018, the People's Progressive Movement-led coalition government pledged to form a Coast Guard to protect the interests of the Islands, especially in terms of illegal immigration and illegal drug importation as well as Search and Rescue. In mid-2018, the commander and second-in-command of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard were appointed. The first commanding officer appointed was Commander Robert Scotland and the second-in-command appointed was Lieutenant Commander Leo Anglin. In mid-2019, the commander and second-in-command took part in ''Operation Riptide'', an international joint operation with the United States Coast Guard and the Jamaica Defense Force Coast Guard. This was the first deployment of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard and the first counternarcotic deployment of a Cayman Islands representative on a foreign military ship in 10 years. In late November 2019, it was announced that the Cayman Islands Coast Guard would become operational in January 2020, with initial total of 21 Coast Guardsman, half of which would come from the joint marine unit, with further recruitment in the new year. The legislation to establish the Cayman Islands Coast Guard was gazetted in 2021, after which the Cayman Islands Coast Guard officially became its own entity separate from the Cayman Islands Police Service. Its first cohort of 16 recruits graduated in March 2021.

Responsibilities

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard is responsible for maritime security, maritime enforcement of local laws and international laws in Cayman Islands waters, and compliance with conventions regarding safety at sea and pollution prevention.

Structure

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard has two main operational departments: * Coast Guard * Coast Guard Reserve Within these two department are four main detachments: * Headquarters Detachment, * Sea Detachment, * Shore Detachment, * Sister Islands Detachment.

Commanding officers

As of September 2021, the commanding officer is Robert Scotland.

Ranks

Ranks of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard are almost exactly the same as the ranks in the Royal Navy. ;Commissioned Officers ;Non-Commissioned Officers

Aviation

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard currently relies on the expertise of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Air Operations Unit, for aerial search capabilities. EUROCOPTER EC-145 VP-CAO and VP-CPS

Vehicles

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard has a few land based vehicles, including SUVs and trucks.

References

{{Coast guards Coast guards Sea rescue organisations of the United Kingdom Military of the Cayman Islands Military units and formations established in 2021