One of the highlights of multinational naval exercise Aman 2025 currently underway in Pakistan was a maritime counter-terrorism demonstration jointly conducted by the Pakistan Marines and Special Services Group (Navy).
Held on a beach outside the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi on Sunday 9 February, it began with a ‘water jet’ – explosives and dye detonated underwater to create plumes of coloured mist.
With the attention of spectators from 60 participating countries firmly grabbed, simulated terrorists landed on the beach and kidnapped a pair of locals. This prompted the insertion of a SEAL team by air – they were dropped by parachute from a Pakistan Navy Sea King helicopter. Another helicopter dropped more men directly into the water off the beach. Further reinforcements arrived by boat, and fast-roped in from Sea Kings.
Once a beachhead was established by the SEALS, the terrorists were stormed and the hostages freed. Another explosion ripped through the air as a simulated mother ship was demolished.
Once the counter-terrorism demonstration concluded, various capabilities were showcased for the multinational crowd, including winching an ‘injured’ SEAL out of the water via a Sea King; and extracting personnel from the beach using a hovercraft. Boats zipped offshore as they demonstrated speed, agility and coordination drills, culminating in a carefully timed ‘bomb burst’ by three Sea Kings and multiple boats.
With the maritime drills concluded, it was the turn of the Navy’s Sea Eagles to drop in by parachute, after exiting a Sea King high overhead. Landing in front of the crowd, they carried the flags of some of the countries taking part in Exercise Aman 2025.
This year’s edition of the exercise is the largest since inception in 2007. Sixty nations are taking part in the exercise and accompanying Aman Dialogue in Karachi. Over a dozen foreign naval vessels have also arrived for this year’s exercise, which runs from 7 to 11 February.
