AFM practice deck landings, SAR on US warship

AFM personnel have participated in a search and rescue (SAR) exercise with the US destroyer USS Robert G. Bradley, which is now in Grand Harbour.

The soldiers got a chance to try out the safety equipment on the ship, and together with the US sailors, performed a number of exercises while sharing their own experiences with the American crew members.

Four cadets got to spend three nights at sea with the crew, immersing themselves into the navy lifestyle and gaining first-hand experience of how the ship’s operations. The AFM also practiced a number of helicopter landing procedures. The AFM has one patrol boat with a helipad, the P61, but because of a lack of equipment, helicopters are not yet able to land on it at-sea. A spokesman for the AFM explained that the training on board the Bradley was similar to other workshops conducted with French, Italian and German ships, giving the AFM a chance to adopt the best policies for its own operations.

Following its port call in Malta, the Bradley will remain in the Mediterranean to participate in Phoenix Express 09, a multi-national naval exercise focused on combating illicit activities on the high seas such as drug and human trafficking. Last year, Malta participated in this exercise by hosting the exercise’s Maritime Interdiction Operations Center.