United States Navy sailors need to be prepared to take on any mission. From combat on the open waters to stealth reconnaissance missions inside a submarine, there is truly no limit to what these brave men and women are trained for. While they often rely on state of the art aircraft, ships, and other vehicles to complete their missions, sometimes it’s simply boots on the ground – or in this case, boots on the boat – that get the job done.
In this video posted to YouTube, sailors are tasked with jumping from a helicopter onto a moving aircraft carrier in order to conduct a search and seizure mission. Their training session was captured on camera and includes a first-person GoPro shot that offers viewers the unique perspective of the sailors themselves.
Check out the video below:
According to the video’s uploader, the sailors in the video were conducting a “helicopter, visit, board, search and seizure (HVBSS) training operation.” The men are part of the elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit of the Navy.
EOD technicians are tasked with rendering safe various types of weapons and explosives, including improvised, chemical, biological, and even nuclear. Their missions can take place on land and at sea, and they are expected to identity, render-safe, and recover any type of threat that might be present.
U.S. Navy Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five (EODMU5) conduct a helicopter, visit, board, search and seizure (HVBSS) training operation. (Wars in the World/YouTube)
In the video, the men begin their mission aboard a military helicopter. The aircraft’s final destination is the USS Curtis Wilbur, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
The chopper hovers some twenty feet above the ship. As the destroyer cruises on the open ocean, the helicopter pilot must not only keep a steady altitude, but also keep pace with the ship as well.
U.S. Navy Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five (EODMU5) conduct a helicopter, visit, board, search and seizure (HVBSS) training operation. (Wars in the World/YouTube)
In the meantime, the crew of highly trained sailors drops a rope to the deck of the ship that dangles from the chopper. Soon after, the men use the rope to slide down onto the deck of the destroyer. In a matter of seconds, a dozen men have left the chopper and are now on board, ready to continue with the mission.
U.S. Navy Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five (EODMU5) conduct a helicopter, visit, board, search and seizure (HVBSS) training operation. (Wars in the World/YouTube)
Moments later, the video cuts to a second chopper and crew ready to do the same. In just the span of a few short minutes, two helicopters have successfully deployed a number of EDO sailors who are ready to tackle the “threat.”
At the end of the video, the helicopter pilot can be seen returning to its own aircraft carrier.
