A helicopter hovered above a 450-foot destroyer and aligned itself with the stern as it slowly lowered itself on the flight deck, the deafening sound of the engines dying as the propellers started to slow down.
The pilot was guided by personnel aboard the ship dressed in red, white and blue uniforms, while medics and firefighters stood by in case anything went wrong. Everything went according to plan.
This was just one of the many drills rehearsed 10 miles off the coast of Malta on the US warship Robert G. Bradley, as the American crew gave the Armed Forces of Malta advice on how to improve their own operations at sea.
The USS warship has been travelling around Africa since November providing training workshops in safety and security before berthing in Malta for Easter.
On Wednesday, the media were invited aboard the warship to watch a series of search and rescue training exercises as part of an expertise-sharing project.
The soldiers got a chance to try out the safety equipment on the ship and together with the US soldiers performed a number of role-play exercises in special gear and shared their own experiences with the American crew members.
As part of the project, four 18-year-old cadets got to spend three nights at sea with the crew, immersing themselves in the navy lifestyle and gaining first-hand experience of the boat's operations.
The AFM also practised a number of helicopter landing procedures. It has one frigate with a helipad, the P61, but because of a lack of expertise and resources, helicopters are not yet able to land on the boat at sea.
A spokesman for the AFM explained that the training aboard the Bradley was similar to other workshops conducted with French, Italian and German crews, giving the army a chance to adopt the best policies for its own operations.
Commenting on the exercise, the US Embassy's Chargé d'Affaires, Jason Davis, said the USS Bradley's work with the AFM "supports our shared goal of keeping the Mediterranean safe for travel and trade".
Following its port call in Malta, the Bradley will remain in the Mediterranean to participate in Phoenix Express 09, a multinational naval exercise focused on combating illicit activities on the high seas such as drug and human trafficking. Last year, Malta took part in this exercise by hosting the exercise's Maritime Interdiction Operations Centre.
The 453-foot boat, which is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate, has a crew of 215 and is under Commander Clinton A. Carroll.
The ship was named after World War II hero Robert G. Bradley, who died along with 108 fellow crew members during a heroic attempt to save their ship, the USS Princeton, following a Japanese air attack at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in 1944.
In addition to sightseeing around the island over the coming week, crew members will be doing voluntary work in community assistance activities.