A number of countries to include Russia and the United States have built up significant military assets to fight wars which have killed not only soldiers in battle, but innocent civilians. Other countries have followed those great powers and have developed significant military capabilities also. The pandemic Covid-19, which is posing the greatest threat to humanity in a generation requires a vast amount of resources to help in its containment. We have seen the death toll in Europe, Asia and North America and there is no end in sight for the spread of this deadly virus and the death of citizens. The crises have overrun hospital capacity and in some countries, people are just waiting to die. This lack of capacity and capability is taking place amid the largest built- up of military assets since World War II. The present situation has been classified by the President of the United States and others as a “War”, which in fact it is. If Covid-19 is a war, then the urgency of the moment beckons us into immediate action to deploy war assets to contain its spread. Those battleships are ideally suited to become floating hospitals to save lives. Sail them now in the war against Covid-19.
Author: Assan Thompson, Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, JCF
Head of Department
Centre for Security, Counter terrorism and Non-Proliferation, CSCTN
Caribbean Maritime University
