Article Posted on : - Sep 20, 2010

Royal Marines and their Brazilian counterparts conduct a beach assault exercise off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Photo: UK MoD

RIO, BRAZIL (BNS): The navies of UK and Brazil have completed a series of beach assault exercises off the coast of Rio de Janeiro to enhance naval co-operation between the two nations.

Hundreds of Brazilian Marines and Royal Marines from the Royal Navy's amphibious helicopter carrier HMS Ocean fast roping from helicopters participated in the dynamic drills.

"The planning and executing of the beach assaults and training were conducted by the two nation's troops,” Lt Col Wraith is the warship's amphibious operations officer, said in a UK Navy official news release.

In the exercise, Brazilian Marines and naval pilots were trained in to carry out amphibious drills with their British counterparts, including flying helicopters to a small island near Rio and going ashore using landing craft.

HMS Ocean is floating in the Atlantic ocean since from March 2010. Earlier, it took part in the international joint exercise Auriga off the coast of America.

The ship will now move to West African nation to carry more joint exercises.