Italo-Maltese military exercise starts today

The annual live military exercise Terraferma, held by the armed forces of Malta and Italy, will be spread over two phases.

Phase I will take place in Malta between today and September 16 while Phase II will be conducted in Italy at the Torre di Nebbia training areas in Bari between September 18 and 28.

The aim of this year's exercise, the seventh one, is to promote cooperation and peace in the Mediterranean region through exercising in the conduct of multinational crisis response operations and humanitarian assistance operations in which units of the Maltese and Italian armed forces may be deployed together.

The Armed Forces of Malta said the main objectives of this year's exercise will be to maintain the training standard achieved by the land forces and to enhance the interoperability of their commands and units in the use of standard procedures when carrying out checkpoint drills, convoy and escort duties, arrest procedures and patrolling techniques, among other duties.

Phase I of the exercise will be coordinated by the AFM, while the Italian joint operations headquarters will coordinate phase II.

All the participating units will operate under a combined Italo-Maltese command and control structure.