Combined Task Force 152 (CTF152), the Arabian Gulf security and cooperation branch of the Combined Maritime Forces, recently conducted Search and Rescue (SAR), Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), and First Aid training in the Gulf.
The training consisted of both in port and at sea training. It was designed to enhance interoperability between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and wider maritime forces in the region, any of whom could be called upon to help should a SOLAS event occur for real.
Assisted by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and United States Navy (USN), CTF152 delivered classroom training in Search Patterns and First Aid, and then undertook a series of realistic Man Overboard (MOB) exercises at sea. The exercise scenarios were deliberately left open to interpretation so that participants could put into practice the skills they had learnt in the classroom in a realistic environment.
Lieutenant Jon Maumy , Royal Navy, who was responsible for planning the exercise, said: “I was highly impressed with the ability of all the participants to grasp the principles of the training and react in a swift and decisive manner. We trained with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all of whom coordinated with United States assets in order to achieve their mission.”
Command and Control of CTF152 and regional Navies, often delivered by Battlewatch Captains tracking operations from their watch floors was also tested during the exercise.
The exercise at sea involved participation from USS Ramage, USCGC Monomoy, Kuwait Navy Ship Ouha, Saudi Coast Guard Vessel Badr and Bahrain Navy Ship Abdul Rahman Al Fahdeel.
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