09 February 2026
The Naval Forces Command organizes a demonstration exercise on « Assisting a ship in distress and fighting marine pollutions »
The Naval Forces Command organizes a demonstration exercise on « Assisting a ship in distress and fighting marine pollutions »
Within the framework of implementing measures of the People’s National Army preparation of 2025-2026, and in order to consolidate the operational readiness in fighting the marine environmental dangers, the Naval Forces Command organized at the Western Maritime Façade/2ndndMR, in February 09th, 2026 a demonstration exercise entitled with: “Assisting a ship in distress and fighting marine pollutions”. This is in application of the international treaties related to fighting marine pollutions with fuels, and in accordance with the territorial commitments assigned to Algeria as an active party in protecting the marine environment in the west side of the Mediterranean notably considering its vital site and the availability of several huge fuel ports and strategic maritime shipping zones.
Mr. the Major-General Western Naval Maritime Façade supervised the execution of this exercise with the presence of representatives of different concerned ministerial sectors as the Ministry of Interior and Local Communities and transport, Fuels and Mines, Post and Telecommunications, Health, Environment and Quality of Life in addition to foreign observers within the framework of bilateral and multilateral military cooperation program for 2026.
The idea of the exercise was based on imitating a fuel shipping ship that lost maneuverability at sea after an explosion occurred on board followed by a fire that caused a considerable quantity of fuels and a great environmental threat and some crewmembers were injured. The concerned services immediately responded after receiving emergency call from the Regional Center for Search and Rescue Operations “Arzew”, a local emergency plan was activated and coordinating operations with the Western Maritime Façade of the second Military Region in addition to Civil Protection services and National Gendarmerie, Ministry of Fuels and Mines and Ministry of Environment and Quality of Life.
After the situation became uncontrollable by the local means, a regional plan “Tel-Bahr” was activated by the Wali of Oran province and providing extra means such as surveillance planes, search and rescue helicopter, high seas tug, coast guard of rescue boats units, participant ministerial sectors means. This allowed evacuating the injured, rescue of the drowning people, containing the marine leak and opening a navigation investigation by agents of the Principal Maritime Station in Arzew/2ndMR.
The exercise aimed to test the readiness and the interaction of the military and local bodies throughout the operations of ships assistance in emergency cases and fighting the marine pollution, consolidating the acquired field expertise by the Naval Forces’ units and highlighting the best methods to manage the marine environmental crises, enhancing joint coordination between different intervening bodies and valorizing the response and the efficiency of the utilized means at all levels and focusing on the control the naval investigations procedures and ways of its improvement.
This exercise is as an essential phase within the People’s National Army strategy aiming to preserve the national naval field and affirms the Naval Forces Command commitment in protecting navigation and economic naval and national activities through a global approach gathering operational readiness, international commitments, efficient coordination between the national actors to face different naval crises and environmental emergencies.
Mr. the Major-General Western Naval Maritime Façade supervised the execution of this exercise with the presence of representatives of different concerned ministerial sectors as the Ministry of Interior and Local Communities and transport, Fuels and Mines, Post and Telecommunications, Health, Environment and Quality of Life in addition to foreign observers within the framework of bilateral and multilateral military cooperation program for 2026.
The idea of the exercise was based on imitating a fuel shipping ship that lost maneuverability at sea after an explosion occurred on board followed by a fire that caused a considerable quantity of fuels and a great environmental threat and some crewmembers were injured. The concerned services immediately responded after receiving emergency call from the Regional Center for Search and Rescue Operations “Arzew”, a local emergency plan was activated and coordinating operations with the Western Maritime Façade of the second Military Region in addition to Civil Protection services and National Gendarmerie, Ministry of Fuels and Mines and Ministry of Environment and Quality of Life.
After the situation became uncontrollable by the local means, a regional plan “Tel-Bahr” was activated by the Wali of Oran province and providing extra means such as surveillance planes, search and rescue helicopter, high seas tug, coast guard of rescue boats units, participant ministerial sectors means. This allowed evacuating the injured, rescue of the drowning people, containing the marine leak and opening a navigation investigation by agents of the Principal Maritime Station in Arzew/2ndMR.
The exercise aimed to test the readiness and the interaction of the military and local bodies throughout the operations of ships assistance in emergency cases and fighting the marine pollution, consolidating the acquired field expertise by the Naval Forces’ units and highlighting the best methods to manage the marine environmental crises, enhancing joint coordination between different intervening bodies and valorizing the response and the efficiency of the utilized means at all levels and focusing on the control the naval investigations procedures and ways of its improvement.
This exercise is as an essential phase within the People’s National Army strategy aiming to preserve the national naval field and affirms the Naval Forces Command commitment in protecting navigation and economic naval and national activities through a global approach gathering operational readiness, international commitments, efficient coordination between the national actors to face different naval crises and environmental emergencies.