U.S. Navy EOD advances exMCM capabilities with Allies and partners at Exercise Sea Breeze 2024

VARNA, Bulgaria – Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8 and Mobile Diving and Salvage Company (MDS) 2-3 operated alongside NATO allies and partners at Exercise Sea 24-3, Sept. 9-20, 2024. This collaborative exercise aims to address the current maritime Read More …

Ukraine: EOD divers remove part of a Russian drone from the Dnipro River

After the enemy attack, SES divers recovered metal fragments of a Russian drone from the Dnipro River. The wreckage was reported by an eyewitness who heard the explosion. After another enemy attack, sapper divers of the State Emergency Service of Read More …

NZDF dives into Solomon Islands explosives disposal work

Fourteen NZDF personnel have joined a multinational contingent in Solomon Islands to dispose of dangerous explosive remnants of war (ERW) under Operation Render Safe. The Australian Defence Force-led operation will see up to 250 personnel from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Read More …

Why is Switzerland offering cash prizes to retrieve munitions from lakes?

The Swiss Federal Department of Defence Procurement (Armasuisse) is offering 50,000 Swiss francs ($57,800) for the three best ideas on how to retrieve some 12,000 tonnes of old munitions from the country’s lakes, including Lake Thun, Lake Brienz and Lake Read More …

UK: ‘Doomsday wreck’ in the Thames is deteriorating faster than feared

A ‘Doomsday wreck’ stuffed with 1,400 tons of WW2 explosives is collapsing, threatening the Thames with a tsunami, a new survey of the ship has revealed. The SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary in August 1944, coming to Read More …

Cambodia: CMAC divers recover 24K UXOs from riverbeds

More than 24,000 unexploded ordnance (UXOs) items of all kinds have been recovered from the Kingdom’s rivers and waterways in the past year and four months. The operations are part of a campaign to clear explosive remnants of war (ERWs) Read More …

British Columbia: Diving team practises eliminating underwater explosives off of Vancouver Island

Roughly a dozen Canadian Armed Forces members are diving into the waters off Metchosin, learning how to safely dispose of underwater explosives. The trainees at CFB Esquimalt are with Fleet Diving Unit Pacific, which eliminates underwater hazards, such as sea Read More …

RIMPAC 2024 kicks off in Hawaii

HONOLULU, Hawaii – The opening ceremony and press conference kicked off the 29th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, today. During RIMPAC, participating forces integrate and exercise a wide range Read More …

EOD Training and Evaluation Unit 2 Holds Change of Command Ceremony

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Cmdr. Karl Staehle assumed command of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 2 during a change of command ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, June 27, 2024. Staehle relieved Cmdr. Paul Mahoney Read More …

UK: Unexploded bombs and mines could be detonated for wind farm work

Scores of unexploded Second World War bombs and mines off the Norfolk coast could have to be blown up to pave the way for a huge wind farm. Danish energy firm Ørsted wants to build its £8bn Hornsea 3 project Read More …

Ukrainian Embassy in Slovakia to hand over four underwater drones for humanitarian mine clearance

The Ukrainian embassy in Slovakia has purchased four underwater drones Chasing M2 Pro Max (with a range of 200 meters) for the State Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said in its Telegram channel. It is Read More …

RCN: Clearance Divers, NTOG mine Army event for recruits

The best way to recruit high-level fitness members to high-intensity trades is to go where these people are, says one Clearance Diver (CD). In search of new recruiting grounds, Master Sailor (MS) Mark Littler partnered with MS David Aubin from Read More …

Australia: Clearance divers put to the test

The robot’s video feed showed an innocuous-looking cardboard box, but from intelligence gathered, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Buchanan knew it was time to put on a bomb suit. Earlier that day, the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group headquarters Read More …

Australia: Nations combine on mine warfare activity

The Royal Australian Navy has laid sea mines for the first time in nearly 50 years during Exercise Dugong. The mine warfare and clearance diving activity, from March 4-22, was designed to test a combined force from Australia, New Zealand Read More …

In-situ comparison of high-order detonations and low-order deflagration methodologies for underwater UXO disposal

The unexploded ordnance (UXO) on the seabed off Northwest Europe poses a hazard to offshore developments such as windfarms. The traditional removal method is through high-order detonation of a donor explosive charge placed adjacent to the UXO, which poses a Read More …

Cambodia: CMAC plan UXO, ERW operations in Mekong

The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) and an inter-ministerial task force organised a public forum ahead of operations to recover unexploded ordnance (UXOs) and shipwrecks from the Mekong River in Prey Veng province. Addressing the forum, CMAC director-general Heng Ratana Read More …

UK: New Year honours for RN divers

A Scottish clearance diver has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours. Leading Seaman (Diver) Rory Cartwright-Taylor is part of the Royal Navy’s Diving & Threat Exploitation Group (DTXG), based at Faslane on Scotland’s west coast. The Read More …

Japan: U.S. mines from WWII found at wind farm in Kanmon Straits

In a two-step process on Dec. 14, the MSDF vessel cleared a mine from World War II. “We managed to dispose of it without fail,” said Lt. Cmdr. Akira Ito of the 43rd Mine Warfare Force. It was the first Read More …