Combined Maritime Forces’ counter-piracy task force commander, Commodore Abdul Munib SI (M), and the commander of Pakistan’s Navy flotilla in the region, Commodore Khan Muhamad Asif SI (M) visited the U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Force Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) squadron training facility in Bahrain.
The Commodores and their teams, including the Commanding Officers of Pakistan ships PNS Alamgir and PNS Azmat received a briefing from PATFORSWA Commanding Officer Captain Willie L. Carmichael before touring the engineering warehouse and the Maritime Engagement Team facility.
The tour included the unique ‘Ship in a Box’ – a 1:1-scale mockup of a dhow inside an environmentally-controlled facility, used to train ships’ boarding teams on Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) procedures. The facility also contains mock up containers of a merchant vessel on which similar procedures are practiced.
“This facility provides an excellent opportunity for CMF member nations to train their crew for Maritime Security and Counter Piracy Operations,” said Cdre Munib.
“The highest standard of professionalism displayed by the CMF and U.S. Coast Guard boarding teams during maritime security operations at sea is a testament to the necessity of such a world class training facility,” he added.
Enhancing interoperability between partner nations remains a key area of focus at the Combined Maritime Forces. Training facilities such as the Maritime Engagement Team facility at PATFORSWA provides task force command teams with an opportunity to standardize procedures and techniques for Maritime Security Operations across a group of partner nations.
