From November 26 to 29, 2024, the first international training course on Aircraft Coordination (ACO) during Search and Rescue (SAR) operations was held at the Training Center of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC Larnaca).

The training attended 14 operators and pilots from Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece, as well as 5 aircrew members from the SAR system of the Republic of Cyprus. The training course offers both JRCC personnel and aircrew members the opportunity to train in the duties of the ACO roles and/or to operate under ACO guidance during mass rescue operations requiring the simultaneous deployment of multiple aerial assets.

Through its ongoing educational initiatives and the utilization of its state-of-the-art SAR Training Center facilities, the JRCC reinforces the Republic of Cyprus’s efforts to establish not only as a hub for SAR services in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also as an international Center for SAR training and expertise.