Within the framework of the State Border Guard Service Maritime Guard development and with the support of international partners, active work is currently underway to increase its capabilities.

Within the framework of the State Border Guard Service Maritime Guard development and with the support of international partners, active work is currently underway to increase its capabilities. In particular, the management of the Maritime Guard Regional Directorate has already made clear proposals, including measures to improve the personnel training system. The need to increase the level of training of both junior staff and officers was also emphasized by the Head of the SBGSU Serhii Deineko. In this direction, the guards of the maritime borders need to develop the already existing base of the Training Center.

According to Rear Admiral Oleh Kostur, Head of the of the Maritime Guard Regional Directorate, the Training Center provides training for ship and boat junior specialists, retraining and advanced training of ship and boat commanders. And diving specialists are trained in the appropriate institution of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where they receive basic training and primary certification. In doing so, the Service pays for their training.

“Basic training is the basis of the diver's profession, concerning safety and health measures. However, for the purpose in the Maritime security, a specialist in diving equipment is, first and foremost, a specialist of law enforcement, who during inspection procedures should identify the hiding places, the use of structural features of the underwater part of the vessel for concealed transportation of the illicit items and controlled substances across the border etc. He must also have the skills of concealed and assaulted boarding, apprehending and neutralizing the offender in accordance with the situation and within the competence, as well as conducting vessel inspection procedures, "- says Oleh Kostur.

That is why, as one of the elements of further development of the Maritime Guard training base with involvement of international partners and implementation of international technical assistance projects, it is planned to create a training center of special operations units and inspection teams, including a diving ground.

“This is a specialized ground that has no analogues in Ukraine. Its development includes the experience of our colleagues with whom we have undergone joint training - the US Coast Guard, Turkey, Georgia, Romania, Estonia, Greece and many other countries, as well as the experience of our servicemen in carrying out their missions. Therefore, the purpose of creating and operating such a center is to make it possible for the Maritime Guard personnel, including those who have diving qualifications, to practice the skills of our law enforcement border guard specifics, having received basic training in an appropriate specialized Armed Forces institution, ”- emphasizes the Head of Regional Directorate.

It is considered to create several training zones relevant to the subject of training of both  special operations units servicemen and crew inspectors: elements of the ship's structure, to simulate actions from underwater lifting on board of different heights, simulator for inspection of underwater part of the vessel, fragments of different types of ships for the surveillance and assault practice of the special forces and many more training zones for the most effective training of specialists in a completely realistic conditions.

Equally important field of the activity and training of the Maritime Guard personnel is the fight for survivability of the surface vessel. It is clear that in a real situation, there should be quick and coordinated actions of staff in stress conditions, most often in stormy weather conditions, smoke or other complications. In this situation, one must be prepared to use skills honed to automatism. Currently, the SBGS Maritime Guard is training staff at the available training base. The training bases of the Maritime Port Administration of Ukraine are also used on a contractual basis.

“But we are working for the future. We are developing and are preparing to upgrade our ship and boat structure. Considering that in the near future we are planning to launch a new project of the Patrol Class Marine Ship, we have already developed a concept and are negotiating with foreign partners on the idea of ​​creating a ground for the survivability of the reproduction of the sections of the ship, which is not familiar to the personnel of the Maritime Guard and analogues of which are not available in Ukraine,” Oleh Kostur said. He added that “the first crew for these ships will be trained in the country of production and the rest of the personnel - in Ukraine, namely at the Maritime Guard Training Center. So, we need to prepare an appropriate decent training base. That is why we involve into cooperation international support, foreign colleagues and partners of the Maritime Guard”.

It should be noted that the cooperation of the SBGS Maritime Guard is sufficiently developed at the international level. We have already had a practical experience in involving foreign instructors to train staff, and with the development and formation of a modern and multifunctional training base, prospects for partner training for colleagues from the Georgian Coast Guard, the Romanian Border Police and other partner countries are opened.