MOAS to use maritime patrol aircraft in 2017 mission

Search and rescue charity MOAS will be using a maritime patrol aircraft in its latest mission

MOAS said that the mission will be carried out using the 40-meter vessel, Phoenix, and a fixed wing manned maritime patrol aircraft (Photo: Jason Florio)
MOAS said that the mission will be carried out using the 40-meter vessel, Phoenix, and a fixed wing manned maritime patrol aircraft (Photo: Jason Florio)

Search and rescue charity MOAS will launch its 2017 Central Mediterranean mission on 1 April, combining for the first time the maritime component with a manned aerial asset.

In a statement, MOAS said that the mission will be carried out using the 40-meter vessel, Phoenix, as in previous years, and a fixed wing manned maritime patrol aircraft, sponsored by The One Foundation.

“The selected aircraft will allow for greater reach and is equipped with a full mission suite that allows enhanced detection of vessels in distress. Daily patrols will contribute to situation awareness and enable MOAS to be more effective at saving lives at sea,” the charity said.

MOAS confirmed that sea vessel will be manned by a professional search and rescue team as well as a rescue care unit. The team of doctors, paramedics, nurses and logisticians will run its clinic and provide social and medical care to the rescued, it said.

“Our crews will head out to sea for our fifth mission with both maritime and aerial assets, acting on behalf of all civil society on the front line of this era-defining humanitarian crisis,” Regina Catrambone, MOAS co-founder and director, said.

MOAS has been operating search and rescue missions since its launch in 2014, rescuing 33,000 persons to date.