OPERATION SOUTHERN READINESS 2023 KICKS OFF

The Second edition of Operation Southern Readiness led by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) based in Bahrainofficially started today at he Military Training and Support Centre facilities at Ile Perseverance.

The two-week training exercise is bringing together participants and facilitators from CMF member countries as well as local agencies and regional partner countries, and its primary aim is to strengthen regional collaboration and operational readiness through collaborative training and exchange of knowledge between participants and facilitators.

Commander Alexis Dieryckx, representing CMF and Lieutenant Colonel Archil Mondon, representing the Seychelles Defence Forces, addressed the facilitators and participants gathered this morning. Also present were senior SDF officers, Deputy Commissioner of Police, resident UNODC Associate Program Officer, and observers from CMF.

Australia, Canada, France, India, Italy, New Zealand, Seychelles, the United Kingdom, and the United States are among the 55 facilitators. The two -week training will take place on land, sea, and air and will cover procedures such as visit board search and seizure (VBSS), search and rescue operations, maritime law, and information exchange.