Haifa-----December 19........Naval ships and aircraft of Israel, Turkey and the United States will conduct a combined Search and Rescue exercise in international waters off the Israeli coast on January 1, 2003.

The objective of this exercise is to practice coordinated emergency search and rescue procedures in times of distress at sea and measures for safety of life at sea.
By familiarizing themselves with each other's capabilities and working together, elements of the three naval forces which regularly operate in the Mediterranean sea will be able to lay a foundation for humanitarian assistance and more effective responses to active maritime emergencies.

The exercise will be of short duration and will involve only a small number of ships from each country's forces, along with several helicopters and search aircraft.