• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Safeguard Begins Salvage Exercise with Indian Navy

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050914-12
Release Date: 9/14/2005 11:25:00 AM

By Journalist Seaman Adam R. Cole, Task Force 76/USS Safeguard Public Affairs

COCHIN, India (NNS) -- USS Safeguard (ARS 50) began conducting the first-ever salvage exercise (SALVEX) with the Indian navy Sept. 12 in India’s western coast city of Cochin and its surrounding waters.

Approximately 200 U.S. Navy and Indian navy personnel are participating in a variety of in-port and at-sea training and events over a nearly two-week period.

“This is an exciting opportunity for all of our Sailors. It's an honor to be able to conduct the first U.S./Indian navy salvage exercise,” said Lt. Cmdr. Doyle Hodges, Safeguard’s commanding officer. “The exercises we've performed with partners all over Southeast Asia for the past several months as part of CARAT (exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training) have prepared us well for this. Our Sailors are looking forward to the opportunity to visit India, as well as to work closely with the Indian navy.”

The in-port portion of SALVEX will focus on education, with lectures, demonstrations and a tour of an Indian navy diving facility as well as the salvage of a training pontoon in the harbor. This initial learning environment will set the stage for a series of complex at-sea events that will place both navies in several cooperative scenarios.

Cooperation will be a vital element as both navies work together to salvage a sunken aircraft recently discovered by the Indian navy along the Malabar coast.

Safeguard Sailors will also be given some time to enjoy the social and recreational activities of Cochin, India.

During the exercise, Safeguard Sailors will also participate in a variety of friendship activities and community service projects.

Safeguard is a forward-deployed rescue-and-salvage ship operating out of Sasebo, Japan, and is part of Task Force 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force.