The exercise, dubbed “Crystal Sea” is designed to develop regional medical support to ensure that any health issue among the crew on board military ships participating in Operation Sea Guardian can be addressed quickly, wherever the ships are sailing at the time.
As part of the scenario, simulated accidents involving crew aboard both Greek frigate Navarinon and Romanian frigate Regele Ferdinand called for a medical evacuation of their sailors to a nearby Israeli hospital. Israel facilitated the transportation with a helicopter, as well as sent a medical team to the third simulated incident on the Bulgarian frigate Verni.
Israel is the first NATO partner to participate in an exercise with Operation Sea Guardian.
Crystal Sea is in its second year allowing NATO to build additional medical interoperability in the southern part of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Partnerships are essential to NATO’s success and contribute to improved security for the broader international community.
As part of Operation Sea Guardian and its cooperation with NATO Mediterranean partners, Commander of NATO’s Maritime Command, Vice Admiral Keith Blount made a visit to the NATO units during their visit to Israel’s port of Haifa on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.
A medical team from the Israeli Navy, transported on a fast patrol boat from Haifa, goes on board BGS Verni to provide urgent medical support to an injured sailor in support to the ship medical team.
On the occasion Vice Admiral Blount met with the staffs of the three units upon completion of their patrols. Vice Admiral Blount had the opportunity to meet with Israeli authorities, including the Deputy Commander in Chief and Chief of Staff of the Israeli Navy, Rear Admiral David Saar Salama.
A crew member of the flagship, the Hellenic navy frigate HS Navarinon during medical evacuation, arrives to Rambam Hospital helipad and is transported by an Israeli medical team to the hospital. One of the series of Crystal Sea 2019 medical support exercise, executed between NATO Task Group and Israeli Navy and local medical teams.
MEDVAC (Medical Evacuation) of a crew member off the Romanian frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand into Rambam Hospital in Haifa.