Posted 26 августа 2010,, 07:40

Published 26 августа 2010,, 07:40

Modified 17 сентября 2022,, 12:00

Updated 17 сентября 2022,, 12:00

Coast Guards Stage Mock Hostage Response Drill in Vladivostok

26 августа 2010, 07:40
The scenario of the multilateral exercise involved the liberation of a civil vessel from armed gangsters.

VLADIVOSTOK. August 25. VOSTOK-MEDIA – The vessel Kondor comes under suspicion of illegal transportation of migrants. The coast guards fail to board the vessel due to a strong resistance put up by the heavily-armed crew of the vessel.

As soon as the signal is given to launch the assault, Russian, Chinese and South Korean coast guard vessels start to close in on the Kondor. Helicopters take off and hover over the area. The gangsters shoot back. South Korean and Chinese coast guard vessels launch cutters with special task forces on board to provide fire cover for an air-assault team rappelling out of a Mi-8 helicopter. The troops storm the bridge deck, where the crew is hiding. A few moments of chaos and shots and cracks and the bandits are lined up with their arms pinioned, their faces against the wall. But not everything is running smoothly: one of the gangsters manages to set off an explosive. The Kondor gets ablaze. Two panic-stricken crew members jump overboard.

The scene of the multilateral naval drills looked like something out of a Hollywood action-thriller. Russian, Chinese, South Korean, Japan and the US coast guards on Wednesday staged a mock hostage response exercise to work out their cooperation. The drill scenario involved the liberation of a civil vessel from armed gangsters.

The naval forces have completed the exercise successfully: they put out the fire on the Kondor and rescued the drowning men. A Russian Coast Guard vessel played the role of the Kondor.

The crews were operating as one team. No problems have occurred during the interaction with our foreign counterparts,” said Oleg Shuvalov, a Russian Coast Guard official.

Such military exercises are of particular importance today, when pirates pose a growing threat worldwide, an official said.

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