Military air training set for 2 days at NC coastal town; exercise against ferry attack set near coast for 1 day

Rodney Overton
·2 min read

SWANSBORO, N.C. (WNCN) — The U.S. military and NATO countries will train in a North Carolina coastal town for two days this week while, in an unrelated exercise, the U.S. Coast Guard trains with various law enforcement another day nearby.

The week of training starts Monday in Swansboro when U.S. Marines from Camp LeJeune will work with NATO allies in “urban close air support training exercises,” according to a news release from Camp LeJeune and II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Close air support is typically air-to-ground actions (sometimes at low altitudes) such as strafes or airstrikes by military aircraft against enemy targets close to friendly forces. An urban training scenario would be in a town or city — in this case Swansboro.

A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) fires rockets during an urban close air support exercise at Yodaville, near Yuma, Ariz. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary M. Ford
A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) fires rockets during an urban close air support exercise at Yodaville, near Yuma, Ariz. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary M. Ford

The training in Swansboro is set for Monday and Friday.

“During these dates, the public may notice increased military aircraft activity in the skies over Swansboro,” the Camp LeJeune news release said.

Officials did not say which NATO countries would be involved in the training.

“The Marines have coordinated extensively with local government officials and emergency services to ensure these activities are conducted safely and with minimal impact on the local community,” the news release said.

A Mil MI-24 Hind conducts assault support tactics in support of Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course. DVIDS photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary M. Ford
A Mil MI-24 Hind conducts assault support tactics in support of Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course. DVIDS photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary M. Ford

On Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard — along with “federal and state partners” — plans an “active-shooter/active threat full-scale exercise,” a Coast Guard news release said.

The training is planned from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along the Neuse River near the Cherry Branch Ferry Terminal in Havelock, the news release said.

The ferry M/V Rodanthe during a Hatteras run. File photo from North Carolina DOT
The ferry M/V Rodanthe during a Hatteras run. File photo from North Carolina DOT

“Residents and community members around the Havelock area should expect to see large numbers of public safety personnel, vessels, sirens, and simulated activities,” the news release said.

The drill includes activities at the terminal on a moored dedicated ferry and on the same ferry while it is underway, officials said.

The Coast Guard did not say which other agencies would be involved in the training near Havelock.

NCDOT image of the NC ferry Frisco along the coast.
NCDOT image of the NC ferry Frisco along the coast.

“This full-scale exercise is organized by the regional Area Maritime Security Committee and will simulate a response to an attack against the marine transportation system,” the news release said.

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