Columbian Heli on Deck of Danish HDMS Absalon

The Danish Navy ship HDMS Absalon and the Columbian Navy vessel ARC 7 De Agosto met at sea for a day of naval training, on Thursday, October 8, 2015.

The training, which took place within the framework of NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD, began with ARC 7 De Agosto’s helicopter landing on the deck of HDMS Absalon, marking the first time a Columbian helicopter has ever landed on a Danish Navy ship.

This interaction featured Columbian Special Operations Forces (SOF) rappelling from the helicopter onto the Absalon.

The Danish Special Maritime Insurgency Team used the opportunity to demonstrate the intricate anti-piracy setup on board Absalon, a ship uniquely equipped to meet the tactical and logistical demands of an anti-piracy operation.

During the interaction, the two ships conducted a “cross-pollination” exchange, where seven officers and enlisted members of the Columbian crew visited the Danish Amphibious Command Ship while six Danish servicemen visited ARC 7 De Agosto. The Danish group was led by the Commanding Officer of Absalon, Commander Senior Grade Per Moll Petersen. The Spanish Navy liaison officer aboard 7 De Agosto, Lieutenant Commander Rafael Gallego Naranjo, helped breach any linguistic barriers.

The Danish helicopter crew also landed on the deck of the Columbian Ocean Patrol Vessel during the exchange, and the ships conducted several replenishment-at-sea approaches to further enhance interoperability between the naval forces.

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Images: NATO