Search and rescue exercise
Fostering international cooperation and information exchange will be the aims of a search and rescueexercise undertaken by Australian and Chinese maritime authorities at Garden Island this week.
As part of this week’s visit of China’s largest and most advanced patrol vessel, Haixun 01, personnelfrom the China Maritime Safety Administration and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) willtake part in a desktop search and rescue exercise on board the ship.
The exercise will also involve personnel from AMSA’s Canberra based Rescue Coordination Centre andwill be an opportunity to share information and strengthen ties between the maritime agencies.
AMSA Chief Executive Officer Graham Peachey said the exercise scenario would revolve around acargo ship suffering engine failure following an explosion on board and a person falling overboard andneeding to be rescued.”The Rescue Coordination Centre will simulate contacting the Haixun 01 to join the rescue operation.
The Haixun 01 will run through with exercise participants about what would be involved in joining thesearch and dispatching the ship’s helicopter to conduct an aerial search for the missing person,” MrPeachey said.
“The aim of the exercise is to learn about each other’s processes and capabilities and strengthen mutualcommunication and cooperation between Australia and China.”
The visit of the Haixun 01 further builds on a 2008 agreement formalising a closer relationship betweenAMSA and the China Maritime Safety Administration, which agreed to information sharing in areas ofcommon interest including training, port state control, international issues and search and rescuebetween the two agencies.
Source: AMSA