Commemoration of Knowledge Day at the Territory Air Defense Forces Command Headquarters
In pursuance of the measures contained in the preparation directive of the People’s National Army forces for the year 2026, approved by the General of the Army, Delegate Minister to the Minister of National Defence, Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army, the Territory Air Defence Forces Command directed on May 11th 2026, a Search and Rescue exercise of an aircraft in distress Entitled “SAREX-2026”, in the Wilaya of Annaba/ 5th MR ,with the participation of national observers from structures of the Ministry of National Defence as well as other ministerial concerned structures in the field of search and rescue.
The aim from the organization of “SAREX-2026” is to test the civilian and military authorities’ disaster responses, as well as the activation of the operational search and rescue chain under emergency conditions, in order to evaluate the level of cooperation among the different actors involved in search and rescue operations.
The exercise scenario consisted of simulating the crash of a civilian passenger aircraft belonging to Air Algérie, operating a flight between Carthage International Airport in Tunisia and Houari BOUMEDIENE International Airport in Algiers, specifically in the municipality of El Eulma in the Wilaya of Annaba 5
th MR, due to a technical failure. Following this, a state of emergency was declared and disseminated by the air traffic control authorities. The search operation was then planned and managed by the Main Coordination Center for Search and Rescue Operations for Aircraft in Distress / Algeria through the preparation of a search and rescue operations plan.
After the search and rescue operations plan was immediately sent to the concerned military and civilian authorities, an aerial asset belonging to the Air Forces Command was deployed to the disaster area to carry out the search mission. After locating the aircraft wreckage and dropping survival equipment, the Wali of Annaba Province, the territorially responsible, activated the emergency relief organization plan (PLAN ORSEC). Consequently, a fixed command center was established at the province headquarters, along with an operational command center and an advanced medical center at the accident site. In addition, all the necessary human and material resources were mobilized and deployed in full coordination and cooperation among the different actors.
Finally, It has to be noted that the exercise has been performed with success and has achieved its goals, which consists in valuing acquired knowledge, exchanging experiences and also the assessment of readiness level of the structures concerned with search and rescue in dealing with such type of disasters and the preparation to confront potential real-life situations.
