NATO`s minehunters joined units from the Danish and German navies to conduct warfare exercises in Danish territorial Water.

The training was designed to improve interoperability within the Group and develop specialist knowledge in various subject fields. Despite the unfavourable weather conditions the training focusing on communication exercises, manoeuvering and transfer of crew members between ship by sea boat was successfully completed.

At 1000 on Saturday 20 February, the watch officer of SNMCMG1 Flag Ship ORP KONTRADMIRAL XAWERY CZERNICKI noticed an unusual object drifting approximately 420 metres from her. Navigation charts did not show any likely objects in the area and concerned for the safety of shipping a team was dispatched by sea boat to investigate. The object turned out to be a hydrographic buoy valued over 20,000 Euros which is used to measure wave height and strength.

NATOs Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) are currently involved in Beneficial Cooperation 10, an Historical Ordnance Disposal operation. The aim is to dispose of some of the thousands of mines left from previous conflicts, in particular off the European Atlantic coast (France, Belgium and the Netherlands). By doing so, the threat from old WWII mines to fishermen and alike is reduced. The accompanying pictures show an underwater detonation which was conducted by HNLMS Middelburg. The World War II mine contained over 600 kilos of TNT. So far the operation has disposed of 8 underwater mines and bombs.

February was an exciting month for Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1, the force having just finished their first operation in 2010 – “BENEFICIAL COOPERATION”. The period was both busy and extremely productive with the Minehunters of the Group locating and disposing of 14 individual pieces of underwater explosive ordnance (UXOs) remaining from WWII, whilst making this area of the North Sea safer for mariners working and transiting the area.