U.K. Defense attaché Rear Adm. Tim Woods, center, with Royal Bermuda Regiment troops during a March 2025 visit to the British Overseas Territory. ROYAL BERMUDA REGIMENT
THE WATCH STAFF
A British admiral, serving as the United Kingdom’s defense attaché in the United States, visited Bermuda to discuss ways in which the U.K. can strengthen its relationship with the British Overseas Territory (BOT), especially in logistical support and training opportunities. U.K. Rear Adm. Tim Woods and his staff visited the Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR) headquarters at Warwick Camp and the RBR Coast Guard base at Scenic House, Sandys in March 2025, according to an RBR news release. While there, Woods met with Lt. Col. Duncan Simons, commander of the RBR, about how the upcoming 2025 U.K. defense review may contribute to closer collaboration between the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the RBR.
“These visits are an important opportunity to strengthen ties with the UK-MOD and to talk through the challenges and opportunities the RBR faces as a small unit. We have made real progress to create a mechanism for logistical support, and we are working to expand the provision of training available to RBR soldiers in the UK,” Simon said in the release. “The upcoming Security and Defence Review … is a fantastic opportunity for the RBR and Bermuda to take a holistic approach to security and defence, and the visit highlighted ways the UK can support the regiment in this exercise.”
Along with the BOTs of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and Montserrat, Bermuda has maintained its own largely volunteer security and relief force since 1965. The U.K. is responsible for Bermuda’s defense, although it doesn’t station any permanent Soldiers or Sailors on the islands. British Royal Navy warships regularly visit the archipelago, which was once known as “Fortress Bermuda” for its importance in protecting the western North Atlantic Sea lanes that were central to the British Empire from the early 17th century until World War II. Subsequently, the U.S. maintained military installations in Bermuda until the 1990s. With 71,000 inhabitants. Bermuda is the most populous BOT and the wealthiest. Its proximity to the U.S., just 1,035 kilometers northwest of North Carolina, make Bermuda a key partner in protecting the eastern maritime approaches to North America.
The regiment has about 350 members, including 30 full-time staff, and frequently mobilizes to provide search and rescue, disaster relief, and maritime security missions, according to the RBR website. In recent years, the regiment has trained collaboratively with militaries in the Caribbean and North America and has mobilized Soldiers to serve in peacekeeping missions in Africa.
After their discussions, Woods said the visit helped the U.K. better assess how to support the RBR in its continued evolution toward a fully capable regiment that can sustain operations independently. “The visit provided an excellent opportunity to nurture the Regiment’s relationship with the UK-MOD,” Woods said in the release. “The British Defence staff in Washington received excellent briefings, and the surrounding discussions were wide-ranging and identified concrete ways the UK can support the RBR’s activities. This will include its preparation for, and engagement with, the refresh of the 2014 Security and Defence Review.”