From September 28 to October 1, HMC Ships Moncton and Edmonton helped make the waters off the coast of Denmark safer by locating, identifying, and disposing of historic sea-mines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) alongside NATO Allies.
During the final phase of the Historical Ordnance Disposal (HOD) operations, the Canadian ships conducted two safe detonations, bringing Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1’s (SNMCMG1) total to four. A Canadian dive team from Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic) worked closely with personnel from the Royal Danish Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams and other Allied naval forces to complete the operation safely.
Historic sea-mines and other UXO can remain underwater for decades after a conflict has ended. Until they are located and safely addressed, these objects may continue to present hazards in the maritime environment.
By addressing these hazards, Canadian sailors delivered an immediate operational result while gaining valuable experience in mine countermeasures. Operating under real-world conditions also allowed participating forces to exchange expertise, refine common procedures, and strengthen their ability to respond together to underwater threats.
“Participating in HOD operations provides valuable operational experience and strengthens the skills of our sailors. Working alongside the Royal Danish Navy and our NATO partners further strengthens our ability to operate effectively as a combined team. The professionalism and teamwork demonstrated throughout the operation contributed to its successful execution,” said Lieutenant-Commander Justin Wong, Commander, HMCS Moncton, and Canadian Task Force Commander.
The successful disposal of historical ordnance demonstrated the ability of Canadian and Allied forces to combine their skills and experience to conduct coordinated mine countermeasures operations in a complex maritime environment.
Moncton and Edmonton, Kingston-class training vessels were deployed with SNMCMG1 simulating as mine warfare ships. Throughout the deployment, Canadian sailors have contributed specialized mine countermeasures capabilities to NATO operations in European waters.
HOD operations strengthened the readiness of Canadian sailors and demonstrated Canada’s ability to provide specialized maritime capabilities while working effectively alongside NATO Allies to support maritime security in the Euro-Atlantic region.
