Tuesday June 27, 2017
When deployed on operations it is crucial that sailors, marines and airmen train regularly to ensure they remain fully prepared to deal with any incident at sea.
During counter-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, ESPS Galicia’s Sea King helicopter crews were put through their paces, with a series of exercises to test their response to a range of realistic scenarios that could happen at sea.
To enable the Sea King helicopter to operate in very challenging weather and sea conditions, the aircraft has many design features, such as the ability to conduct water landings. Being completely watertight, the Sea King can remain afloat on the water’s surface for prolonged periods.
The aircrew also have the capability to relay information about any suspicious activity along the Somali coastline and far out at sea back to the Force Commander on board ESPS Galicia.
The presence of EU NAVFOR’s Sea King helicopters off the coast of Somalia act as a real deterrent to piracy and other illegal activity at sea. This helps to keep seafarers and vessels safe as they transit the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.