AFM personnel train aboard US warship
The USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG-49) visited Malta for a port call over the Easter weekend of April, 2009. The USS warship has been travelling around Africa since November 2008, providing training workshops in safety and security.
Earlier that same week, the Bradley conducted a series of at-sea Search and Rescue (SAR) training exercises as part of an expertise-sharing project with the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) to support the Maltese SAR and maritime security capabilities.
As part of the training, several members of the AFM Air Wing and Malta Sea Cadets embarked the Bradley in St. Pauls Bay to observe the ships operations first-hand. The AFM personnel gained practical experience onboard the Bradley as it continued its journey to the Grand Harbour, and had the unique opportunity of spending the night onboard a US Navy ship.
Commenting on the exercise, the US Embassys Chargé dAffaires, Jason Davis, said that the USS Bradleys work with the AFM supports our shared goal of keeping the Mediterranean safe for travel and trade".
The USS Bradley, which is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate, has a crew of 215, and is commanded by Commander Clinton A. Carroll.
The ship was named after Second World War hero Robert G. Bradley, who lost his life along with 108 fellow crew members during a heroic attempt to save their ship, the USS Princeton, after a Japanese air attack at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in 1944.
Deck Landing Qualification (DLQs):
A helicopter hovered above a 450-foot destroyer and aligned itself with the stern as it slowly lowered itself on the flight deck, the deafening sound of the engines dying as the propellers started to slow down.
The pilot was guided by personnel aboard the ship dressed in red, white and blue jackets, while medics and firefighters stood by in case anything went wrong. Everything went according to plan.
This was just one of the many drills rehearsed 10 miles off the coast of Malta on the Bradley as its crew gave AFM personnel tuition on how to improve the Maritime Squadrons own helicopter deck-landing operations at sea.
The AFM personnel got a chance to try out the safety equipment on the ship and together with the US Navy sailors performed a number of role-play exercises in special firefighting gear and shared their own experiences with the Bradleys crew members.
As part of the project, four 18-year-old Sea and Marine cadets got to spend three nights at sea with the crew, immersing themselves in the navy lifestyle and gaining first-hand experience of the boat's operations.
The AFM also practised a number of helicopter landing procedures since the Maritime Squadrons P61 has its own helipad on the ships stern.
A spokesman for the AFM explained that the training aboard the Bradley was similar to other workshops conducted with French, Italian and German crews, giving the Maltese military a chance to adopt the best procedures for its own operations.
The 453-foot vessel, which is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate, has a crew of 215 and is under Commander Clinton A. Carroll.
The ship was named after World War II hero Robert G. Bradley, who died along with 108 fellow crew members during a heroic attempt to save their ship, the USS Princeton, following a Japanese air attack at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in 1944.
In addition to sightseeing around the island over Easter weekend, crew members volunteered some of their time in community assistance activities. Following its port call in Malta, the Bradley will remain in the Mediterranean to participate in Phoenix Express 09, a multi-national naval exercise focused on combating illicit activities on the high seas such as drug and human trafficking. In 2008, Malta participated in this exercise by hosting the exercises Maritime Interdiction Operations Center.
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