F
or ships headed through the Mediterranean to
the Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean or the Eastern
Mediterranean and Black Sea, it makes sense
to stop at Souda Bay, on the Greek island of Crete. And
at Souda Bay is the world-class NATO Maritime
Interdiction Operational Training Center (NMIOTC)
that trains boarding parties for visit, board, search and
seizure missions.
“We have extraordinary facilities here at Souda Bay.
A ship can refuel, get repairs, resupply, and exploit the
NATO Naval Forces Sensor and Weapons Accuracy
Check Site and the NATO Missile Firing Installation.
There is a naval hospital and an airfield. And there is
the ancient and beautiful port city of Chania nearby,
where the crew can relax,” said Hellenic Navy Cmdr.
Spyridon Lagaras, the chief of staff at NMIOTC. “And
they can come here and we can get their teams ready
for their deployment.”
During the Cold War, ships prepared for deployment
by conducting missile firings and gun shooting drills.
“We still know how to fire the
guns and missiles, but this is what
the navies are doing today,” said
Lagaras. “We train their boarding
parties and make them a robust
team.”
Maritime interdiction opera-
tions (MIOs) are a form of law
enforcement. It is both a military
and civil function. Military MIO
teams must be proficient in tactics
and weapons, but also well aware
of the legal implications of their
activity, in particular how to
respond to a potential crime, pre-
serve the crime scene and collect
evidence.
“When the team arrives, they
often do not know what they will
find. They are alone. And board-
ings can turn into a nasty situation in a very short peri-
od of time,” Lagaras said.
Demand for training is high. Last year, NMIOTC
supported 57 naval units and provided nearly 100
command and boarding team training courses, and
another 42 tailored training programs. The 85-person
staff is busy, as there are 36 vacant billets, and oppor-
tunities exist for international staff participation.
NMIOTC has unique training capabilities. In addition
to classroom and simulation training, the former Greek
cadet training ship HS Aris, now decommissioned, is
used for live training for a variety of boarding scenarios.
Another vessel, the former mine warfare ship HS Alkyion ,
also is being made ready as a training platform. There are
rigid-hull inflatable boats, actual confiscated pirate skiffs
and an entire small island at the entrance of the bay avail-
able to represent a pirate logistic dump.
Aris has a number of compartments on several
decks that can be used for inspection and possible con-
frontation.Building Robust Teams
NATO center trains naval forces for maritime interdiction operations
By EDWARD LUNDQUIST, Special Correspondent
Operational Training
The NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center at
Souda Bay, Greece, trains boarding parties for visit, board,
search and seizure missions
The center in 2014 supported 57 naval units and provided
nearly 100 command and boarding team training courses, and
another 42 tailored training programs.
In addition to classroom and simulation training, the former
Greek cadet training ship HS Aris is used for live training for a
variety of boarding scenarios and the former mine warfare ship
HS Alkyion is being made ready as a training platform
There also are rigid-hull inflatable boats, actual confiscated
pirate skiffs and an entire small island at the entrance of the bay
available to represent a pirate logistic dump.
SPECIAL REPORT / PARTNERS IN GLOBAL PRESENCE
42 S E A P O W E R / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 W W W. S E A P O W E R M A G A Z I N E. O R G