Italian marines on board Operation Atalanta’s flagship, ITS Carabiniere, spent the New Year period conducting training to help them maintain their high state of readiness.

The marines carried out day and night fast-rope insertion exercises using ITS Carabiniere’s helicopter.

Fast-roping is a demanding and highly specialised skill, which requires both courage and careful co-ordination between the marines and the helicopter crew.

Fast-roping is sometimes used for embarking a vessel and allows the rapid insertion of troops in order to deter and prevent piracy or armed robbery at sea.

After descending from the rope, one of the marines said:

“It doesn’t matter how many times we do this type of training, I always get an adrenaline rush when I descend from the helicopter as it hovers over the flight deck.  It’s a key part of our operational capability and important that we practice regularly.”