Jul1

Hot Wash Up

A "Hot  Wash Up" of Exercise Sorbet Royal 2005 was held in the Press Information Office (PIO) at the

main Naval base in Taranto.

Representatives of all units and nations participating in the exercise met to discuss the outcome of the exercise and any lessons learned.

Main achievements from the exercise

• All aims and objectives met or exceeded
• Demonstrated the ability to rescue and treat in a realistic scenario
• All KURSK lessons demonstrated
• Increased confidence in submarine rescue
• Total of sixty nine (69) serials completed successfully

Other achievements

• First use of Transfer Under Pressure (TUP) (0.3 ATA) (Atmospheres) with actual timings
• First seventy five (75) person rescue
• First Ukrainian Officer Conducting Serial (OCS)
• First Russian Federation Officer Conducting Serial (OCS) of NATO SSK (Diesel submarine)

In the opinion of one UK representative, "it was a unique exercise based on five main points"

1. Interoperability - The idea of an international submarine escape and rescue (SMER) is driven by the exercise. For example the Russians have modified the skirt of their rescue vehicles in accordance with the NATO STANAG (Standard Agreement).
2. International cooperation - Assets from all over the world were gathered for the exercise.
3. Medical play - The participation of the medical team were crucial in order to test and train all the aspects of the submarine escape and rescue (SMER) activities.
4. Public projection - Increase public knowledge of the SMER activities.
5. Develop new procedures - The large amount of assets participating enabled new procedures to be exercised.