The global training of Aegean Seal 2024 organised by the forces of the sea and peculiar forces of Greece ended. For miners divers from the 13th Tray Squadron, this was another chance to improve skills in combating mine hazards as well as those from explosives and dangerous materials.
The exercise under the codename of Aegean Seal aims to strengthen the cooperation of allied peculiar Forces units with specialised Naval Divisions, which regular deal with the search, recognition and neutralisation of threats from explosives and dangerous materials. During the exercise, procedures for planning and conducting operations by EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) subdivisions are improved. The training held in Greece was attended by representatives of 8 nationalities: Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Germany, Poland, the United States, Turkey and Italy. Polish Armed Forces were represented by soldiers of the Miner Divers Group from the 13th Trailers Division and the Formoza Military Unit.
"Identification of mine-like objects (atrap min) in the waters of the Aegean Sea during the day and at night is an excellent chance for us to train in completely different conditions than we know in the Baltic Sea. From the position of the diver there are almost laboratory conditions due to excellent visibility and comparatively advanced temperature of water reaching 23 degrees. This allows us to focus on circumstantial elements of combat training. In addition, this requires us to adapt the procedures and the appropriate approach to the task."
- stressed the participant, the GNM officer and added:
"In a akin way, APP Gavia operators faced a fresh challenge due to the fact that they had to consider another salinity of water, which has a direct impact on the balance of the vehicle erstwhile preparing the vehicle for the mission. At the same time, a valuable lesson for them was the analysis of the received image from a fresh environment, i.e. a different kind of bottom and existing vegetation to which we are not accustomed."
Polish sailors pursued the search for mine-like objects utilizing APP Gavia to then go under the water, identify the detected objects straight by miners divers, and yet execute effective neutralization. 1 episode was, among another things, the approach to the drifting mine and its neutralisation. The tasks were carried out both day and night. As a summary of the exercise, a tactical task was carried out, during which miners divers along with the operators of APP Gavia cleared the mine hazard area to let safe passage of landing and storm forces by sea.
During the exercise, any tasks were carried out in global teams, which aimed at exchanging experiences, insights and possible ways of solving the issue. specified exercises with representations of different countries contribute to the further improvement of operational readiness, combat effectiveness, cooperation and interoperability of participants.
The Aegean Seal 2024 exercise was conducted on 13-24 October, mainly in the maritime area of the confederate part of the Eube Gulf.
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The Navy continues to intensify the implementation and usage of autonomous systems and fresh technologies in the submarine, under different environmental conditions. respective years of experience, cognition and tactics of utilizing specified systems put us at the forefront of NATO countries - as we present, among another things, during specified exercises in the global cast.
Text: Press Section 8FOW
