Minesweeping isn’t just a game you play on your computer – it is a vital part of the Canadian Navy’s training.
It is why a team of salvage divers from CFB Esquimalt have travelled to South Korea to participate in training, said Capt. Pedram Mohyeddin in a statement.
The training is a combined effort between the two navies, culminating in the annual Multinational Mine Warfare Exercise from Oct. 16 to 27.
According to Mohyeddin, the diving team will train in four areas: mine countermeasures diving, explosive ordnance disposal, battle damage repair and underwater force protection support.
The training is essential, said Mohyeddin, as there are more than 1,000 mines remaining from the Second World War floating in the ocean, with many remaining active.
The training mission and concurrent warfare exercise will be the fifth time this has happened in five years, he said.
The skills needed are focus and attention to detail, “Without either of these things, important steps can be missed, and mistakes can be made which can lead to critical mission failure,” he said.
Salvage divers can expect to encounter various mines at sea, he said, including drifting, moored, bottom, and torpedo mines.
When not training, divers participate in Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures and Operation REASSURANCE, which involve removing and disposing of sea mines.
Being away from home is always a challenge, but the team of divers has settled into what is required in South Korea.
“Clearance Divers are all goal-oriented with a mission focus and adapt quickly to overcome this challenge. We can learn from their procedures and tools, and they can learn from ours.”
The group has only recently been formed and is very excited to be working with their South Korean allies, said Mohyeddin.
The team is incredibly excited to gain experience in a new environment, learn from their techniques, and teach them ours.
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