Malta, Italy in annual military exercise

The major annual military exercise between Malta and Italy, Exercise Canale, is in full swing around the Maltese archipelago with the aim of promoting cooperation, security and peace in the Mediterranean.

The exercise revolves around naval and air operations by units of the Maltese and Italian armed forces and other invited nations in combined search & rescue and maritime law enforcement operations.

Exercise Canale, which is in its 13th year, will run until Saturday and this year it was the turn of the Armed Forces of Malta to take the lead role in the planning and execution.

The exercise is aimed at training commands in standard procedures for alerting and conducting search and rescue operations at sea.

There is training in explosives ordinance disposal underwater and in maritime law enforcement operations.

The exercise is also a way of training units in anti- and counter-piracy and convoy operations, and testing the validity of the communications plan for the command and control of joint and combined operations at sea.

There will be observers from the Maltese and Italian governments on the final day of the exercise.