Marine oil spill control drills held during Exercise Barracuda-X

The sea phase of the International Exercise Barracuda-X was held off Karachi’s coast on Wednesday.

Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) Director General Rear Admiral Zaka Ur Rehman graced the occasion as chief guest and witnessed the sea phase of the exercise on board Pakistan Maritime Security Agency ship PMSS Kashmir.

The spokesman for the navy said that air and surface assets of the Pakistan Navy, PMSA, Pakistan Air Force and other national stakeholders participated in the sea phase of the exercise.

During this phase, drills of containment of oil spill, search and rescue operations and anti-piracy were demonstrated and witnessed by 24 foreign observers from 11 countries and representatives of national stakeholders.

The foreign observers applauded the efforts being put in by all the stakeholders, especially the efforts of the Pakistan Navy and the PMSA, to fight any disaster at sea. The chief guest lauded the endeavours of the Pakistan Navy and the PMSA for the conservation of the marine environment and to contain disasters at sea.

He appreciated the coordinated efforts of all stakeholders and thanked foreign observers for their participation in the exercise. At the end of the exercise, an impressive fly past and skim past by air units involved in the exercise was also demonstrated.

The International Exercise Barracuda-X is a marine oil spill exercise and aims to enhance the capacity and proficiency of the national stakeholders to combat the menace of pollution at sea.

The exercise was held from December 2 to December 4 in Karachi and the Arabia Sea of the city’s coast.