Maritime safety and security in the Mediterranean and West Africa will improve following the graduation of international officers who attended a second class held by the Armed Forces of Malta Search and Rescue Training Centre (SAR-TC). The graduation ceremony was officiated by Brigadier Carmel Vassallo, Commander AFM at Luqa Barracks last month.

Eleven students from Mauritania, Algeria, Egypt, Cyprus and Malta completed an intensive one-month Search Mission Coordinator and Counter Narcotics course that prepares them to execute all phases of a SAR case, from initial notification, to search planning and coordination, to resolution. It also provides students with a solid foundation of the drug threat, smuggling trends, international law regarding drugs and use of force in preventing drug smuggling.

The SAR-TC course has only been possible thanks to close cooperation between the AFM and the American Embassy. The AFM course instructors were all trained at the US Coast Guard’s National SAR School in Yorktown, Virginia. Training at the SAR-TC is modelled on US Coast Guard methodology and updated to International Aeronautical and Maritime SAR Manual standard.

Although the SAR-TC is an AFM facility, the US Coast Guard contributes to its instructor staff, both permanently and temporarily. Commander Brian Lisko, assigned to the American Embassy, is on the staff of the SAR-TC and regularly teaches several SAR classes to international students.

Visiting US Coast Guard operational law experts teach international students about the CN part of the course. Additionally, the US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany provides financial and administrative assistance, allowing foreign students to attend the SAR-TC on full scholarship.

Abdelkarim Soliman, the Egyptian Ambassador to Malta, participated in the graduation ceremony, while American Ambassador Molly Bordonaro delivered brief remarks highlighting the great cooperation between Malta and the United States regarding the SAR-TC.

Ambassador Bordonaro said, “The United States fully supports Malta’s SAR-TC because it addresses two vitally important global challenges – search and rescue and counter narcotics. Although the world is divided into many SAR regions, not all countries have received SAR training that conforms to International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organisation SAR standards. The SAR training you received here in Malta does. The counter narcotics training you received at the SAR-TC should you, your family and your country well by giving you some tools to help curb the spread of illegal drugs that tear at the very fabrics of our respective societies. Your graduation today helps make the Mediterranean and West Africa safer and more secure areas.”

Besides AFM and US Coast Guard instructors, the Malta College of Arts and Science Technology provided an instructor from the Maritime Institute who taught the students the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System class.

The Malta Police also contributed to the course by having a member of their Drug Squad talk about the drug threat in Malta and bring samples of various types of illegal drugs for the students to look at. The head of the SAR-TC is AFM Major Alex Dalli.

While in Malta, the students were able to get to know their instructors outside of the classroom, often having dinner at their houses. They were also able to see some of Malta’s beautiful sights on the weekends, including Valletta, Mdina, Bugibba and Mellieha Bay.

The second international class consisted of Rear Admiral Sameh Hassan Saleh (retired) from Egypt, Commander Boualleg Abbes and Captain Azzouz Kamel from Algeria, Lieutenant de Vaisseaus Coulibali Karourou and El Hacen ould Ahmed from Mauritania, Lieutenant Marios Yiakoumi and Chief Master Sergeant Chysostomos Petrou from Cyprus and Warrant Officers Class 1 Carmel Lia and Anthony Mansueto from Malta.