The exercise, which ends on Sunday, is aimed primarily at enhancing cooperation and friendship between the armed forces of Italy and Malta, as well as other countries involved in the Euro-Mediterranean process.

The main objectives will be to improve the cooperation and operational capabilities of the aero-maritime forces in peace-support operations including:

• maritime search and rescue in support of people and vessels in distress at sea;

• control and inspection of merchant ships suspected of illegal activities;

• control of illegal migration by sea;

• maritime explosive ordinance disposal and recovery operations.

This year’s exercise will see the Armed Forces of Malta taking the lead role in planning and coordination. As in the past, France, Greece, Libya, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Tunisia have been invited to participate in the exercise. Military observers from Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority and Syria have been invited to attend and will be afforded an insight into all the activities scheduled to take place.

Italy will deploy:

• Navy: the Maestrale class frigate ITS Espero together with its shipborne AB212 helicopter, the Cassiopea-class off-shore patrol vessel ITS Vega, the salvage tug ITS Polifemo, two land-based helicopters, one explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) diving team and one boarding team from the regiment San Marco.

• Airforce: two search and rescue helicopters, an HH-3F based in Trapani, Sicily and an AB212 from the Italian Military Mission in Malta.

• Coast Guard: one diciotti class long-range patrol boat, a fast 200-class patrol boat and one fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft and a Piaggio P-166.

• Carabinieri: one 800cc-class fast patrol boat.

Malta will deploy:

• Two patrol vessels, P31 (Kondor class) and P51 (Protector class).

• Two melita class SAR launches.

• One fixed-wing maritime reconnaissance aircraft (BN-2B Islander) and one SAR helicopter (ALIII Alouette).

• One EOD diving team.

• One boarding team.

On Friday, a VIP event, with the participation of both Italian and Maltese political/military authorities, is expected on board ITS Espero, giving the authorities the opportunity to observe the improved capabilities of the personnel involved in this training exercise