Deployed since the beginning of June in the Far North as part of the Tugaalik 24 mission, the Metropolitan Support and Assistance Ship (BSAM) Rhône joined the polar icebreaker cruise ship Commandant Charcot, of the French company Ponant, on June 23 to conduct a series of exercises marked by Search and Rescue (SAR) training.
The day began with a navigation exercise in the ice floe between blocks of ice of more than one metre, a first for a BSAM. Commander Charcot has opened a way for the BSAM, using his embarked Ecureuil helicopter. Having reached an ice-free zone, the Rhône has conducted a new medical assistance exercise for the benefit of the Charcot. Several simulated victims on board the cruise ship were taken care of by the Rhône medical team. The two vessels then departed the ice and ended the day with a towing exercise. The large tonnage of the Charcot has enabled the Rhône to acquire significant feedback on this type of vessel which will benefit all the BSAMs of the French Navy.
At the end of these rich exchanges, the French ship will have confirmed its versatility and its assistance capabilities in a particularly constrained environment, while developing its relations with the civilian polar community.