Submarine rescue training underway in Spain

Maritime Journal - 

Submarine rescue specialists and other experts are in Spain this week to prove rescue systems and procedures developed to rescue submariners from worst case scenarios.

The world’s experts in these operations, including parachuting diving teams, engineers and military doctors, are currently concentrated off the Spanish coast near Murcia in the Mediterranean to improve their response capability.

Not just one, but four diesel powered submarines are simulating the unthinkable. They are disappearing from their last known reported positions and have gone missing.

Fortunately for the submarines’ crews, this carefully planned event has been choreographed as part of the ambitious NATO-led Bold Monarch exercise, the largest multi-national exercise in this field, which is coordinating and demonstrating the operational, diving, medical and engineering expertise involved in saving lives in one of the most challenging environments on the planet.

Bold Monarch’s opening scene features a bustling Spanish harbour, a warship with a floodable dock, massive support vessels bristling with cantilevered ‘A’ frames supporting mini-submersible rescue vehicles cradled within.

The plethora of high tech gadgetry is complimented by international teams of Naval officers, doctors in combat fatigues, and submariners trained to parachute from aircraft to create a floating hospital village. What makes Bold Monarch unique is the truly remarkable level of cooperation and the mutual understanding of the military capability amongst the submarine operating nations taking part.

The multi-national Navy representatives were warmly welcomed by the Spanish host nation and NATO exercise controllers. At the pre-sail conference the unprecedented level of cooperation became clear as meticulous planning and rehearsal of procedures continued throughout the day to overcome the challenges of operating in many languages. The safe conduct of the exercise is of paramount importance to all participants and a crystal clear understanding of the schedule of events as the rescue scenarios unfold is crucial to the success of the exercise.

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