Anti-mining exercise attracts 40 nations

U.S. NAVAL FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) concluded in Bahrain in November 2014 after nearly three weeks of seminars and training in a wide array of maritime operations designed to promote international interoperability, protect global commerce and ensure secure sea lanes.

More than 6,500 military service members from more than 40 nations, along with 700 civilian mariners, operated 38 naval ships, 32 civilian merchant vessels, and three exercise task forces throughout the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea.

“This year’s exercise has been a great success. Not only did we have more nations participate and greater involvement from the commercial shipping industry, but we also greatly improved on the complexity of our scenarios, command and control of our vessels, interoperability, the quality of our presentations and discussions, and our multilateral interactions in general,” said Vice Adm. John W. Miller, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet/Combined Maritime Forces.

One area of emphasis during the exercise was the use of specially trained marine mammals as an innovative mine hunting and maritime security force. The program incorporates bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to detect and defend against mines and enemy swimmers. Sea lions, for example, can detect enemy divers and attach a cuff to the intruder’s leg, allowing a Navy patrol boat to reel in the enemy diver.

Mine countermeasures operations included ships, crews and observers underway to conduct training in at-sea maneuvers, mine hunting operations, aerial MCM operations, explosive ordnance disposal operations and unmanned underwater vehicles.

Operations allowed naval vessels to provide convoy escorts to commercial merchant shipping to ensure safe navigation through chokepoints and demined sea lanes for the free flow of international goods. During the exercise, naval forces and civilian mariners planned and executed over 500 nautical miles of multinational convoys through the Strait of Hormuz, one of which included a crude-oil tanker. Drills were also held to practice search and rescue, mass casualty treatment, and visit, boarding, search and seizure.

A three-day symposium on infrastructure protection before the start of the at-sea phase of the exercise allowed for an exchange of ideas. Industry representatives discussed means to ensure the safety of maritime commerce through vital sea lanes and at strategic seatports.