ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Aruba’s ARUMIL personnel will join a two-week Caribbean hurricane-response exercise aimed at improving emergency coordination in Sint Maarten and Saba.
The annual exercise, named Calm Horizon, brings military units together with local authorities, aid organizations and private-sector partners. The training focuses on how the islands would respond if a major hurricane caused widespread damage and disrupted essential services.
Aruba personnel join rotating deployments
According to EA News, the participating defense units include the Royal Netherlands Navy support vessel Zr.Ms. Pelikaan, fast raiding interception and special forces craft known as FRISCs, and military personnel from Aruba’s ARUMIL and Curaçao’s CURMIL.
The units will rotate between Sint Maarten and Saba while working through scenarios involving hurricane relief. The exercise is intended to test how quickly personnel and equipment can be deployed and how effectively military teams can support civil authorities during a crisis.
Joint planning is central to the drill
A major part of Calm Horizon is coordination with organizations that would take part in a real emergency. Joint training gives military personnel and local partners an opportunity to align procedures before a storm threatens the region.
Military assistance after a severe hurricane can include logistical support, help for civil authorities and efforts to maintain security and public order. The exercise also gives participating units more familiarity with the local conditions on both islands.
Regional readiness during hurricane season
Emergency assistance is one of the core responsibilities of defense forces operating in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Exercises such as Calm Horizon are designed to keep those capabilities ready while strengthening working relationships across the islands.
For Aruba, the deployment places ARUMIL personnel in a wider regional response network. Their participation demonstrates how the island’s military unit can support neighboring Caribbean communities when a natural disaster creates urgent needs.
