The frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ (F-105), flagship of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2) is currently participating in operation ‘Ocean Shield’ fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean.
In the course of a scheduled port of call in the Seychelles Islands, the ship conducted a series of training activities with sixteen students from the local Coast Guard Academy.
This training was framed within NATO´s Regional Capacity Building program, one of the initiatives of Operation ‘Ocean Shield’ in the Indian Ocean.
The 16 students conducted a maritime security and safety course, supervised by the European Union mission ‘EUCAP Nestor’, whose liaison officers stationed in the Seychelles coordinated the training. The working day consisted of a series of lectures on counter piracy operations in the Indian Ocean and on VBSS team procedures using helicopters and boats.
At the end of the conferences a brief tour around the ship was conducted, followed by a practical demonstration on the frigate’s boarding security team equipment.
[mappress] Press Release, April 29, 2014; Image: Armada