Between the 27th of April and the 4th of May 2015, Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150) ships French Ship Var, Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Newcastle and Seychelles Patrol Ship (PS) Constant took part in Task Force counter-terrorism exercises in the Indian Ocean.
CTF150 crew led several interactions with Seychelles Coast Guards and HMAS Newcastle, who is currently operating in direct Support to CTF150. This visit also gave Captain Crignola, Commanding officer CTF150, (CCTF150), the opportunity to meet Seychelles authorities, as part of the regional engagement program of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) coalition.
The presence of FS Var and HMAS Newcastle in Port Victoria offered a valuable opportunity to lead several combined exercises between both navies and the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), as part of the Task Force Maritime Security Operations training and the enhancement of interoperability between allied maritime forces.
On the 4th of May, both Australian and French warships, and Seychelles patrol ship Constant, joined off the coast of Mahé for ship handling exercises followed by search and rescue training. The training which involved navigation and medical teams provided opportunity for sailors and coast-guards to share their knowledge and to test their ability to work well together.
The following day, FS Var and HMAS Newcastle continued their training together and conducted a vertical replenishment at sea and boarding drills.
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Image: CMF