Maritime Rescue, Troops Descend from the Sky! A Naval Aviation Regiment Conducts Day-Night Search-and-Rescue Training
Maritime Rescue, Troops Descend from the Sky
— A Report on Day-Night Search-and-Rescue Training by a Naval Aviation Regiment
■ Chang Yongjian, Ren Ce
In early summer, as dawn barely broke, a day-night maritime search-and-rescue training exercise by a Naval Aviation regiment got underway in a certain sea area.
Outside the porthole, winds were strong and waves surged; inside the cabin, pilots gripped the control sticks, flying the helicopter at low altitude. Upon reaching the target position, the rescue swimmer opened the cabin door and carefully searched the sea surface for the target.
"Suspected target spotted!" Within minutes, the "person in the water" appeared intermittently among the crests and troughs of the waves. The pilot rapidly adjusted heading and maneuvered the helicopter into a hover above the target; upon receiving the "exit cabin" order, the rescue swimmer leapt out through the cabin door, while the hoist operator steadily paid out the cable.
Wind speed over the sea continued to increase, and the taut cable swayed without stop. Just as the rescue swimmer was closing in on the "person in the water," a massive surge suddenly struck, instantly pushing the "person in the water" several meters away. Seeing this, the rescue swimmer worked to stabilize his own body while coordinating with the crew to close in on the "person in the water" again.
Seizing a brief lull between surges, the rescue swimmer picked his moment, grabbed hold of the "person in the water," and bound the two of them tightly together. Seeing this, the hoist operator decisively raised the cable, slowly lifting both persons to the cabin door. Crew members then worked together to pull the "person in the water" into the cabin.
"Maritime search and rescue is a race against time; our rescue efficiency directly determines the survival probability of the person in the water," the regiment's leadership explained. Maritime weather conditions are complex and unexpected situations are frequent; whether personnel can search quickly and effect a rescue places high demands on the capabilities and qualities of officers and soldiers. To improve training quality and effectiveness and temper officers' and soldiers' emergency response and combat capabilities, prior to this training the regiment convened a combat and training deliberation meeting (议战议训会), formulated contingency plans for wind and wave resistance, interference countermeasures, and misidentification prevention based on sea conditions in the mission area, and clarified search-and-rescue zone delineation, communications frequency allocation, and emergency response procedures. At the same time, ground crew officers and soldiers were organized to conduct a "dragnet-style" inspection of critical components including aircraft engines, landing gear, and hoist systems, ensuring equipment performance was intact and operations were safe and reliable.
As night fell, the combat alert sounded again; helicopters lifted off on order, and nighttime maritime search-and-rescue training commenced immediately. In the darkness, the sea was pitch black as ink with extremely low visibility. Pilots drew on their experience to repeatedly adjust helicopter altitude, while rescue swimmers used instruments and infrared thermal imaging equipment to rapidly lock onto the position of the "person in the water." As they approached the target, strong wind interference suddenly appeared on the sea surface, causing the helicopter to pitch and roll violently; the pilot immediately adjusted the aircraft's attitude to ensure the rescue operation could be carried out safely.
"5 meters! 3 meters! … Left-right position good! Hold!" the hoist operator called through the intercom, helping the pilot correct the helicopter's position. Under the beam of the searchlight, the hoist operator kept close watch on the rescue swimmer's movements and continuously adjusted the cable length. The entire crew worked in seamless coordination, and the "person in the water" was successfully rescued.
It is understood that this training effectively tested participating officers' and soldiers' capabilities in emergency search and rescue, special-situation handling (特情处置), and coordinated operations under complex environmental conditions. Upon conclusion of the training, the regiment immediately organized an after-action review, formulated remedial measures targeting identified problems, and established direction for the next phase of training.