NATO’s submarine warfare exercise Dynamic Mongoose 2014 (DMON 14) has concluded off the coast of Norway, in rough seas and high winds.
Designed to provide an opportunity for the allied nations to train for a variety of scenarios, the multinational exercise has successfully demonstrated the abilities of the ships, submarines, aircraft and personnel from eight nations.
During the exercise, personnel participated in scenarios including submarine detection, tracking and the engagement of surface vessels, aircraft detection, tracking and attacking submarines, as well as naval task groups escorting and protecting high-value assets against submarine threats.
Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG-1) commodore Nils Andreas Stensønes said: "I believe we made a significant step forward in anti-submarine warfare capability.
"During this exercise, SNMG-1 grew from two to a task group of ten vessels.
"This demonstrates how the group can seamlessly integrate vessels from allied nations and expand in accordance with the demands of the situation."
Submarines from France, Portugal and Norway, as well as surface ships from France, Germany, Norway, Poland and the UK, participated in the exercise, while additional personnel from Canada and the US provided assistance.
Underwater Warfare leading seaman Ryan Smith said: "Dynamic Mongoose was a rare opportunity for us to work with three live submarines in challenging conditions.
"This brought invaluable experience and enhanced our Underwater Warfare department’s operational capability."
The drill involved a total of ten surface vessels, three submarines, three maritime patrol aircraft, embarked helicopters and a further four Merlin helicopters from the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose, in Cornwall, UK.
Flight commander and observer lieutenant Karen Barnicoat said: "It’s particularly satisfying to see the Merlin showcasing its potent capability as an anti-submarine warfare platform."
Image: HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl and a Norwegian submarine conducting the mission near Bergen, Norway. Image: courtesy of the Royal Navy.
