UK to drop warship patrols in Caribbean

The United Kingdom is to abandon its warship patrols of the Caribbean for the first time since the second World War because of the navy's funding crisis.

According to a report in The Guardian newspaper in Britain, the withdrawal means the navy will no longer provide a warship for anti-narcotic operations in the region, and will have to reduce its role in disaster relief work.

According to the Guardian, under the review, the services will lose personnel and equipment, with the navy surface fleet of destroyers and frigates being reduced from 23 to 19. This, however, is the first time defence chiefs have had to abandon an existing overseas mission because of the budget squeeze.

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