Jamaica Commended for Staging Exercise Event Horizon 2025

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force has commended its Jamaican counterpart for its staging of Exercise Event Horizon 2025.

The exercise, which is currently under way, is the brainchild of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Maritime Air and Cyber Command (MACC), is being praised as a forward-thinking approach to emergency response.

Speaking with JIS News at the recently staged JDF Sail and Flypast, at the Kingston Harbour, downtown Kingston, Captain of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Communication Branch, Captain Carlon Bethell, said that it is admirable to see Jamaica taking the lead in bringing countries from the region together for the event.

“This is my first time on the planning team for such an event. What stands out most is Jamaica’s initiative to lead the region in organising an exercise of this scale. While we often work with larger international partners like Canada and the United States, it’s inspiring to see a Caribbean nation taking the lead. It’s a testament to the strength and unity within our region,” Captain Bethell said.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) is playing a major role in the multinational regional exercise hosted by the JDF. The RBDF’s Communication Branch, includes their Operations Command Centre, Communications Department, Cybersecurity, and the National Systems Programme.

“We are participating in all aspects of the exercise. Our Cybersecurity Team is actively engaged, our humanitarian assistance and disaster relief team is on the ground, and our drone team is providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support as well as maritime law-enforcement efforts. We have assets here, such as the HMBS Lawrence Major, which serves as both a logistics vessel and also in law-enforcement efforts of the exercise,” Captain Bethell said.

The RBDF also expressed admiration for the JDF’s Sail and Flypast, held on January 13, which formed part of the opening ceremony and included impressive aerial and maritime displays.

“The proceedings were fantastic. We don’t have helicopters in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, so to see aerial assets like that, in formation along with the ships, it’s an impressive thing for me; we definitely enjoyed it. I think it shows that your force [JDF] is a very well put together force with assets that can help with the maritime law enforcement challenges that you have,” said Captain Bethell.

The JDF’s Exercise Event Horizon runs from January 12 to 26, and is a multinational, multiagency and multi-domain event. It simulates real-time scenarios to provide the appropriate response.

Now in its third year, it is a high-level validation programme designed to simulate real-world threats or disasters in a controlled environment.