Units and personnel from seven Mediterranean countries have joined the 16th Italo-Maltese Canale training exercise being held off Augusta in Sicily until September 25.
The AFM said military forces will be conducting joint training for 'soft' security operations including boarding and searching for weapons of mass destruction and search and rescue. The training will also involve simulated piracy attacks which will see the naval forces engaging the pirates and disrupting their attacks.
The purpose of the exercise is to promote collaboration and efficiency in joint operations.
Planned and organized by the Italian Joint Operational Headquarters (IT JOHQ), the exercise is being coordinated by the Italian Navy along with the Italian Air Force, the Carabinieri and Italian Coast Guard.
The participating countries with Italy and Malta are Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia. Some have deployed naval or air units while others have sent personnel to participate in command operations at various levels.