On the second day of the Pakistan Navy’s Exercise Sea Guard 26, various actions in the sea phase were conducted, including search and rescue for those lost at sea, Geo News reported on Tuesday.
The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), the nation’s principal force for safeguarding life at sea, demonstrated its coordination and advanced capabilities during a search and rescue operation.
On a day that began like any other in the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea, a routine patrol turned into a critical mission of life and death. The alert first flashed at the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre (JMICC), which serves as the pulse and coordinator for the entire 53 different agencies operating within Pakistan’s maritime frontiers. The JMICC hotline alerted relevant agencies with the initial information and coordinated the entire process. The distress call indicated fishermen were in grave difficulty, their vessel succumbing to the sea.
Immediately, the PMSA’s search and rescue machinery snapped into action. The PMSA’s Defender aircraft was scrambled from its base, acting as the mission’s high-altitude coordinator, using its advanced sensors to sweep the search area. The aircraft efficiently established communication links between the PMSA headquarters, surface vessels, and other assets, creating a unified operational picture. It relayed crucial data, acting as a floating command platform in the sky to pinpoint the fishermen’s last known location amidst challenging conditions.
As the Defender aircraft coordinated from above, a Pakistan Navy Alouette helicopter was already racing towards the scene. Reaching the coordinates, the pilots spotted the desperate fishermen and manoeuvred into a low, stable hover against strong winds.
Soon afterwards, it deployed rafts for the distressed fishermen. The helicopter also lowered a rescue swimmer via a winch and rope system into the turbulent water. He secured a drowning fisherman, and both were hauled safely into the helicopter cabin. Simultaneously, a PMSA fast response boat cut through the waves at high speed, reaching the remaining survivors in the water, pulling them to safety, and providing immediate first aid on deck. All rescued fishermen were then transferred to the PMSA Kashmir ship, where emergency medical assistance was administered by the crew.
Following the operation, Deputy Director General PMSA Commodore Noman spoke to Geo News, reflecting on the demonstration, which mirrored the agency’s daily reality. “Today’s exercise showcased the integration of our assets—aircraft, helicopters, and surface vessels—and our coordination with the Pakistan Navy and other partners,” Commodore Noman said.
He said the force has over 11 sea-going units and aircraft, speed boats, etc., working in coordination with JMICC, Pakistan Navy, and over 50 related agencies operating in the maritime zone. “Full restoration of maritime trade routes within our maritime boundaries and robust search and rescue capabilities are fundamental pillars of our mandate.”
He highlighted the agency’s impressive operational tempo, noting, “We conducted over 50-100 search and rescue operations last year and, in the last five years, managed to save over 2000 lives.”
Emphasising continuous improvement, Commodore Noman added, “The PMSA actively takes feedback on interactions between all stakeholders at sea to enhance our collective response.” Looking to the future and the safety of the fishing community, the DG announced a critical initiative: “We aim to install modern Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), allowing them to be monitored at the JMICC. The VMS will provide early distress signals, ensuring help can be dispatched even faster, turning the demonstration into tomorrow’s standard of safety for all who work at sea.”
Without specific coordinates, the search and rescue at sea is a difficult and complicated task, considering the huge sea. As a global responsibility, Pakistan has been tasked to conduct search and rescue operations in an area around 840NM.
The VMS would likely be installed in around a year and will greatly help the fishermen platform in distress, he said. The PMSA is also inducting unarmed drones with advanced sensors to expedite the search and rescue and aerial reconnaissance. Together, they will slash the response time hugely.
