Naval Auxiliary/Support

Royal Navy support ship to assist in disaster relief operations in Honduras

Baird Maritime

The Royal Navy is responding to a request to assist disaster relief efforts in Honduras after Tropical Storm Eta swept through the Central American nation.

The supply ship RFA Argus has been in the Caribbean since April ready to assist British Overseas Territories and communities in the region in the event of a storm hitting. The vessel is now off Honduras' north-east coast to support ongoing aid operations led by the United States.

Argus' spacious flight deck will be used by US military aircraft to sustain relief missions while the ship's own embarked helicopters will be prepared to carry out surveys of the damage and fly aid to isolated areas if required.

Eta weakened from a category four storm to a tropical storm as it hit Honduras after it devastated Nicaragua. Despite that, the storm left a trail of destruction and millions of Hondurans displaced, areas flooded, and homes destroyed.