23 April 2025
The naval Forces Command organizes a demonstration exercise entitled: "Assisting a ship in distress and fighting the maritime pollution" at the Eastern Maritime Façade/5thMR
The naval Forces Command organizes a demonstration exercise entitled: "Assisting a ship in distress and fighting the maritime pollution" at the Eastern Maritime Façade/5thMR
Within the framework of implementing orientation procedures of preparing the People’s National Army Forces for 2024-2025, and in order to enhance the operational readiness in facing the maritime environmental dangers, the Naval Forces Command organized in April 23rd, 2025 at the Eastern Maritime Façade/5thMR an enlarged demonstration exercise entitled: “Assisting a ship in distress and fighting the maritime pollution”, in application of the international treaties related to fighting maritime pollution caused by hydrocarbons, and in accordance with the territorial commitments mandated to Algeria as an active party in protecting the maritime environment in the western side of the Mediterranean Sea notably taking into consideration its vital location and its major oil ports and maritime shipping areas in Skikda, Bejaia and Arzew.
Mr the Major-General Eastern Maritime Façade Commander supervised this exercise with the presence of the Wali of Skikda province, and representatives of different concerned ministerial sectors including the Ministries of Interior and Local Groups, Transport, Energy and Mines, Health and Population, Environment and Quality of Life and Post and Telecommunications. Foreign observers took part in this exercise within the framework of embodying bilateral and multilateral military cooperation program for 2025.
The exercise concept revolved around an incident of collision between a fuel supply ship of Skikda port and a merchant ship lost control of the maneuver, which caused a hole in the fuel tank, and considerable quantities leaked at sea followed by a fire outbreak. Different services immediately responded after receiving a rescue call from the sub-center for surveillance and rescue operations at sea in Skikda, by activating the local plan for research and rescue and informing the Regional Center in Jijel/5thMR through activating the local plan “Tel Bahr” by the Wali of Skikda Province.
After the situation was uncontrollable with the primary means, a Regional plan “Tel Bahr” was launched based on a proposition of Mr the Wali of Skikda province. After that, additional support means were harnessed including a reconnaissance airplane, a research and rescue helicopter, high sea tugboat, rescue boats, Coast-guard units, in addition to the potentials of different concerned ministerial sectors.
These joint efforts allowed for the evacuation of the injured, the rescue of the drowning victims, the extinguishing of the fire, and the containment of the pollution slick using floating barriers. Subsequently, a maritime investigation was opened by the coast guard officers at the main maritime station of Skikda.
This exercise endeavoured to realize a set of objectives, mainly the test of how interactive the concerned military and civil structures are during the operations of assisting ships in distress and fighting maritime pollution and consolidating the field expertise acquired by the Naval Forces units in this area as well as the clarification of perfect ways of managing such environmental crises.This exercise aimed to reinforcing the joint coordination between different intervening structures and assessing the level of preparation, the quick response and the efficiency the used materials at all levels by focusing on controlling the naval investigations.
This kind of exercises remains an essential station in the Naval Forces strategy aiming to protecting the national naval space and the maritime environment according to a comprehensive approach integrates the operational readiness, international commitments and coordination between different national actors.
Mr the Major-General Eastern Maritime Façade Commander supervised this exercise with the presence of the Wali of Skikda province, and representatives of different concerned ministerial sectors including the Ministries of Interior and Local Groups, Transport, Energy and Mines, Health and Population, Environment and Quality of Life and Post and Telecommunications. Foreign observers took part in this exercise within the framework of embodying bilateral and multilateral military cooperation program for 2025.
The exercise concept revolved around an incident of collision between a fuel supply ship of Skikda port and a merchant ship lost control of the maneuver, which caused a hole in the fuel tank, and considerable quantities leaked at sea followed by a fire outbreak. Different services immediately responded after receiving a rescue call from the sub-center for surveillance and rescue operations at sea in Skikda, by activating the local plan for research and rescue and informing the Regional Center in Jijel/5thMR through activating the local plan “Tel Bahr” by the Wali of Skikda Province.
After the situation was uncontrollable with the primary means, a Regional plan “Tel Bahr” was launched based on a proposition of Mr the Wali of Skikda province. After that, additional support means were harnessed including a reconnaissance airplane, a research and rescue helicopter, high sea tugboat, rescue boats, Coast-guard units, in addition to the potentials of different concerned ministerial sectors.
These joint efforts allowed for the evacuation of the injured, the rescue of the drowning victims, the extinguishing of the fire, and the containment of the pollution slick using floating barriers. Subsequently, a maritime investigation was opened by the coast guard officers at the main maritime station of Skikda.
This exercise endeavoured to realize a set of objectives, mainly the test of how interactive the concerned military and civil structures are during the operations of assisting ships in distress and fighting maritime pollution and consolidating the field expertise acquired by the Naval Forces units in this area as well as the clarification of perfect ways of managing such environmental crises.This exercise aimed to reinforcing the joint coordination between different intervening structures and assessing the level of preparation, the quick response and the efficiency the used materials at all levels by focusing on controlling the naval investigations.
This kind of exercises remains an essential station in the Naval Forces strategy aiming to protecting the national naval space and the maritime environment according to a comprehensive approach integrates the operational readiness, international commitments and coordination between different national actors.