******************************************************
The Civil Aviation Department has successfully completed its annual search and rescue exercise.
Code-named "SAREX 2006", it consisted of a long-range exercise yesterday (October 25) over the South China Sea, 80 nautical miles south of Hong Kong, and a short-range exercise today (October 26) in Port Shelter near Sai Kung.
The SAREX was hosted by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) with 10 participating Search and Rescue (SAR) units - the Hong Kong Garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), US Air Force, US Navy, US Coastguard, Government Flying Service (GFS), Marine Department, Marine Police, Fire Services Department (FSD), Civil Aid Service, and for the first time this year, the China Maritime Search and Rescue Centre (CMSARC) which sent a vessel and a helicopter to Hong Kong to take part.
"The exercise is held annually to strengthen co-operation and co-ordination in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations among the department, PLA, other SAR units of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and if possible with Mainland and overseas SAR authorities," a spokesman for the department said.
"It provides air traffic controllers, aircrew and other SAR units with continued training and familiarisation with search and rescue techniques."
Yesterday's long-range exercise simulated a passenger airliner crashing 80 nautical miles south of Hong Kong. Three search aircraft, one each from the US Air Force, US Coast Guard and GFS were deployed to look for the airliner which was located in an hour.
Today's short-range exercise simulated a light executive jet making a forced landing in the sea off Sai Kung. All 12 people on board were rescued through the joint efforts of rescue boats and helicopters of the PLA, CMSARC, GFS, Marine Police and FSD.
More than 130 Search and Rescue experts from the Mainland, the US and other Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, watched the exercise.
"In accordance with Annex 12 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the Civil Aviation Department organises annual search and rescue exercises to enhance the department's search and rescue capabilities. The exercises also give SAR experts in the region an opportunity to communicate and to exchange the latest SAR techniques," the spokesman said.
Ends/Thursday, October 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:06
NNNN