During the evening of November 22, a search and rescue exercise was conducted by ESPS Meteoro and her embarked helicopter. The exercise was part of an intensive air-sea training programme.
During the exercise, two qualified rescue divers from the embarked air wing simulated two men who had been washed overboard. The Spanish warship’s SH-60B helicopter was quickly launched and ‘rescued’ them from the sea using a rescue hook.
This type of exercise ensures that the ship’s company and the helicopter crew remain at the top of their game when on operations.
ESPS Meteoro has been part of EU Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta since 15 August. The ship has sailed more than 20,000 nautical miles, conducted 79 friendly approaches with local seafarers and carried out 57 flying sorties with the embarked SH60B helicopter.
[mappress] Press Release, November 26, 2013; Image: EU NAVFOR