Cyprus and Greece conducted on Thursday a Search and Rescue (S&R) drill, off the island`s southern coast and within the area of jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus.

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Defence, several helicopters from the National Guard and the Greek battle ship “Prometheus” participated in the drill, dubbed “Salamis 01/16”.

The exercise was conducted under the coordination of the Larnaca Joint Rescue Coordination Center, in cooperation with the Greek Navy General Staff.

The drill scenario included a maritime accident in the open sea and participants were called to implement the “Nearchos” national search and rescue plan, locating and rescuing survivors and transferring the injured to safety.

This was the second scheduled S&R exercise between Cyprus and Greece in 2016.