Visit and Search team of the frigate F-82 ‘Victoria’ trains at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre

• Integrated into ‘Dédalo 25’, the F-82 ‘Victoria’ is conducting naval air and amphibious operations with various NATO allies in areas of the central Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea.

The frigate 'Victoria', part of the Expeditionary Combat Group (ECG) ‘Dédalo 25’, has taken advantage of her stay in Souda (Greece) to refine the techniques and procedures of her Boarding Team in preparation for her operational qualification and high readiness period at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center (NMIOTC).

The training day began with a Welcome Briefing conducted by the instructors, aimed not only at the members of the Spanish Navy team but also at all the students who are being trained in different courses. The Center’s Chief Commander, Commander Perilis Piyis, welcomed the Commanding Officer of the ‘Victoria’ frigate, and they exchanged information about the types of courses offered, also offering to repeat these training sessions whenever Spanish ships dock in Souda.

Visit and Search team of the frigate collected the provided armament, consisting of MP9 rifles—modified to shoot paintballs—and moved to the ‘white ship’, a decommissioned patrol vessel anchored in the training area.

Planning and execution of two exercises was also carried out. The first one consisted of a cooperative boarding with a surprise incident (bomb discovery) during the search, which forced an orderly withdrawal of the Visit and Search team to the mother ship.

Subsequently, the second exercise involved another cooperative boarding, this time with numerous incidents (hidden role players and weapons or explosives in undeclared compartments), and it ended with an orderly retreat of the Visit and Search team.

The exercises were carried out in facilities equipped to simulate any boarding situation. Therefore, all compartments of the ship could be searched and marked. Additionally, in this space, the rules of engagement apply, and the use of force in legitimate self-defense is permitted. 

This training day at the NMIOTC enabled the crew of the ‘Victoria’ frigate and her Visit and Search Team to make a significant advancement in learning how to execute boarding and search procedures, while also providing an opportunity to conduct a search under the most realistic conditions.