This year’s ninth edition of the Italo-Maltese bilateral training Exercise Terraferma is being held in two phases: the first was held in Malta in late September, the second phase is to be held in the Italian region of Puglia’s army training areas, outside Bari over the next few weeks. The joint training is aimed at promoting cooperation and peace in the Mediterranean.

The two phases of Exercise Terraferma will see troops of the Armed Forces of Malta training alongside the Italian armed forces, both focused on exercising the conduct of Multinational Crisis Response Operations and Humanitarian Assistance Operations should both forces be deployed together overseas in the future.

The Malta phase of this annual live training was held in Malta between 21 September and 3 October. All the participating units operate under a combined Italo-Maltese command and control structure.

This year’s military engineering training focuses on qualifying the AFM sappers in medium girder military bridge (MGB) building. Training with explosives as support to an infantry breaching effort is also scheduled.

AFM Headquarters has coordinated Phase 1 in Malta, and will be providing a company commander along with a 30-man infantry platoon, a combat-engineers section of 11 sappers, and a two-man EOD team. The Italian armed forces will field an officer as a company’s second-in-command and a 25-man infantry platoon (including three female soldiers) plus two combat-engineers, respectively from the 9th Regiment and the 11th engineer Regiment of the Pinerolo Armoured Brigade. The locally based Italian Military Mission (MIATM) is also providing support through its instructors’ section and its Air Force AB212 helicopter. A five-man Carabinieri team is also taking part.