US embassy cable - 04NASSAU322

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 000322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2014 
TAGS: MCAP, PBTS, PHSA, PINS, PREF, Security, Haiti 
SUBJECT: ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENSE FORCE PREPAREDNESS -- A ROOT 
CAUSE FOR BAHAMIAN CONCERN 
 
REF: NASSAU 285 
 
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SUMMARY 
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(1) (C) The possibility of uncontrolled outflows from Haiti 
is a dominant undercurrent in the on-going domestic debate in 
The Bahamas about the implications of current unrest 
throughout Haiti.  Underlying this debate is Bahamian 
recognition that the country of 305,000 inhabitants is 
ill-equipped to control is own borders.  The assets that the 
Royal Bahamian Defence Force (RBDF) could bring to bear in 
the event of large migrant outflows from Haiti to, or 
through, The Bahamas are extremely limited.  The Royal 
Bahamas Defense Force navy includes only four currently 
functioning vessels.  The Bahamas would be completely 
dependent on the United States in the event an uncontrolled 
outflow occurs. 
END SUMMARY 
 
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HOW HELPFUL CAN THE RBDF BE IF A MASS MIGRATION OCCURS? 
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(2) (C) The answer is, in summary, "not much."  The RBDF has 
four currently operational medium/large vessels to patrol 
Bahamian territorial waters encompassing 100,000 square miles 
-- an area equal in size to the state of California. 
 
3. (C) The RBDF naval complete inventory is 15 vessels, nine 
of which are currently operational, only four of which are 
large enough to patrol large areas.  The inventory is as 
follows: 
 
 
HMBS Nassau; HMBS Bahamas 
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4.  (SBU)  These are two 60 meter, 375 ton displacement 
vessels, each with a patrolling range of 3,000 miles.  Both 
of these two ships regularly patrols Southern Bahamian 
waters, under normal circumstances. 
 
5. (C)  The HMBS Nassau is operational.  The HMBS Bahamas is 
out of service for the past three months for major engine 
repairs estimated to cost $600,000.  The  government hopes 
that repairs could be effected by early March, but this goal 
is unlikely to be met.  On February 9, Foreign Minister Fred 
Mitchell told Charge that he expected the "Bahamas" to be 
back in service by March 5.  However, FM Mitchell's optimism 
has not been seconded by other Bahamian officials.  RDDF and 
a senior Ministry of National Security official acknowledged 
to Charge February 11 that the HMBS Bahamas was unlikely to 
be returned to service before the end of March, at the 
earliest. 
 
6. (C)  To compensate for the absence of the HMBS Bahamas, 
the senior-most National Security officials have told Charge 
that they strongly favor using the U.S. Naval Base at 
Guantanamo for refueling and re-provisioning in order to 
increase the HMBS Nassau's on-site presence.  FM Mitchell is 
reluctant to support this action for political reasons.  RBDF 
Commodore Rolle is simply reluctant. 
 
HMBS Yellow Elder; HMBS Port Nelson; HMBS Samana 
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7. (SBU)  These are 33-meter vessels, each with a patrolling 
range of 600 miles.  One of the ships in this category 
regularly patrols Southern Bahamian waters. 
 
8. (C)  HMBS Yellow Elder is operational.  The "Port Nelson" 
and "Samana," are currently out of service with no return to 
service date predicted. 
 
HMBSA Inagua 
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9. (SBU)  The "Inagua" is an 18 meter, 30 ton vessel with a 
patrolling range of 650 miles.  This vessel regularly patrols 
the Exuma Islands and the Ragged Island Basin. 
 
Smaller Vessels With Limited Patrolling Capabilities 
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10. (SBU)  There are also two 12-meter vessels, each with a 
patrolling range of 600 miles.  One regularly patrols the 
Exumas and southern New Providence islands.  The other is 
currently out of service for an engine rebuild.  The return 
to service date is unknown, but the repair has been scheduled. 
 
11. (SBU)  The fleet rounds off with four 6-meter Boston 
Whalers that are based at Nassau Harbor and perform security 
patrols in the country's principal cruise ship port and three 
"go-fast" boats.  One of the go-fasts is currently 
operational and based at the RDDF headquarters base in Coral 
Harbor on New Providence Island.  The other two "go-fasts" 
are undergoing repairs with unknown return to service dates. 
 
 
Comment 
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12.  (C)  As this overview indicates, the Bahamian fleet is 
modest and effectively incapable, even under normal 
circumstances, of fulfilling the RBDF's roles of drug and 
alien interdiction, interdiction of fish poachers within The 
Bahamas' exclusive economic zone, and frequent search and 
rescue operations in the 100,000 square miles of Bahamian 
territorial seas.  Effectively, there are only eight vessels 
suitable for patrol between The Bahamas and Haiti and half of 
these are out of service for mechanical reasons. 
WITAJEWSKI