A scenario involving a submarine accident near Cartagena was staged by the Spanish Navy during a recent training exercise.
As per a recent press statement, last week the Spanish Navy carried out the first element of Exercise Cartago 26, a two-part submarine rescue and salvage serial.
Last week’s Command Post Exercise, which simulated a submarine in distress off Cartagena, will be followed up by a second phase scheduled for the autumn.
Cartago 26 is being used as a pilot exercise ahead of the Spanish Navy hosting the multinational NATO submarine exercise Dynamic Monarch 27 in the waters near La Manga del Mar Menor next year.
The Armada press statement said last week’s event was focused on implementing and refining its General Plan for Submarine Salvage and Rescue (PGSRS), in particular its command and control (C2), communications and logistical elements.
It hopes the second stage in the autumn will yield valuable lessons learned for improving the implemented PGSRS plan, the core aims of which are extending survival time inside a stricken submarine and rescuing its crew.
Among the many bodies involved in Cartago 26 are the Navy General Staff, Fleet, and Submarine Flotilla, the Navy Health Directorate, the Navy Diving Center, the Special Naval Warfare Force, and response teams from the Ministry of Defence, the Army, and the Air Force and Space.
Also involved are the International Submarine Rescue and Search and Rescue Office (ISMERLO) and civilian organizations include Maritime Rescue, AENA (Spanish Airports and Air Navigation), the Port Authority of Cartagena, and the Red Cross.
- You can read more details on the Spanish Navy website