Fleet Survey Team Surveys in Albania

US Navy Fleet Survey Team (FST) is conducting a hydrographic survey in the harbour of Durres, Albania, its approaches and anchorages in a cooperative survey with the Albanian government. The port was last surveyed in the early '90s by the Naval Oceanographic Office. The new data will be used by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the US charting authority, to update nautical charts to support US vessels on port calls to Durres. The Albanian Hydrographic Service will use the data to update the Albanian charts.  

Durres, located on the Adriatic Sea, is one of Albania's major commercial ports and is home to the Albanian Hydrographic Service. Albanian hydrographers are working alongside the US Navy hydrographers and participating in every aspect of the project.

 

FST deployed a seven-person survey team, comprised of both military and civilian surveyors, and a nine-meter survey vessel for the mission, which includes the collection of sounding data, tidal information and geodetics.

 

The primary mission of the survey team is data collection, however, equally important to both NAVEUR/6th Fleet and FST is supporting the theatre security cooperation mission of building relationships in the region through cooperation and interaction with the host nation.

 

FST is scheduled to return to Albania in the future to conduct additional surveys.