Sailors Conclude Multinational EOD Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017 By Lt. j.g. Seth Wartak
SANRAMSUND,
Norway -Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8, along with Sailors from Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68 and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe Detachment Maritime Ashore Support Team (CNE DET MAST), participated in Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017 (AE17), in Ramsund, Norway from Feb. 2-17, 2017.
Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8, along with Sailors from Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68 and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe Detachment Maritime Ashore Support Team (CNE DET MAST), participated in Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017.
AE17 is a multinational EOD exercise and this year included multi-service participants from Norway, Denmark, and the United States. U.S. Navy forces participating in the exercise formed an Adaptive Force Package (AFP) commanded by CTF 68.1 to conduct multi-faceted expeditionary operations to include EOD, Mine Countermeasures (MCM), maritime security, and communications in the austere environments above the Arctic Circle. “The U.S. Navy’s renewed participation in the Arctic Specialist series of exercises highlights our investment, along with our key NATO partners, in the security of critical sea lines of communication while pushing the operational envelope of our expeditionary forces to fight and win in even the most challenging of environments,” said Cmdr. Gareth J. Healy, commanding officer, EODMU 8. “I could not be more impressed with the performance of this expeditionary AFP and the seamless interoperability with our Norwegian and Danish partners while we all tackle the unique challenges of securing battlespace, both on land and in the water, from potential complex threats. I look forward to our future cooperation with Norway and Denmark, increasing our proficiency in expeditionary operations in arctic environments and reinforcing our operational reach throughout the European theater of operations.” The exercise was hosted by the Royal Norwegian Navy’s Naval EOD Commando, as a multinational full-spectrum Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) exercise in which partner nations shared tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) in order to achieve greater interoperability when conducting combined operations countering global or regional threats to maritime security. This exercise forced participants to overcome the challenges of operating north of the Arctic Circle.
AC17 provided a unique opportunity to refocus on EOD and MCM TTPs in both the maritime environment as well as austere operating conditions. For the first time in more than a decade, EODMU 8’s operational exposure to these challenging environments allowed Sailors to assess and innovate these TTPs while learning from experienced partners. Additionally, CTF 68 and CNE DET MAST forces were able to conduct high-latitude communications to flex the command and control of Expeditionary Forces during distributed operations. “This exercise was important from a command and control aspect because the limited amount of satellite resources in this area present significantly communication challenges,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dwight Jefferson, officer in charge, CNE DET MAST. “Arctic Specialist allowed us to flex our capabilities and explore alternative means of communication (that don’t necessarily rely on satellite coverage) to provide the commander reliable command and control.” EODMU 8, forward-deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain, provides EOD capability to locate, identify, render safe, recover, field evaluate and dispose of all explosive ordnance, including underwater, biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint and interagency partners in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.