Welcome to Exercise Brilliant Mariner 2010 Home page
4 May 2010
SNMCMG1 plays her part in Brilliant
Mariner 2010
NATO’s
Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) took part in Exercise Brilliant
Mariner 2010. The Group comprised 13 ships and 3 land Explosive Ordnance
Disposal(EOD) Teams, representing 10 NATO countries and 1 Partnership
for Peace country. Units conducted Mine Hunting, Mine Sweeping,
Countermining Exercises, Asymmetric Exercises as well as contributing to
the Recognised Maritime Picture. During the exercise SNMCMG1 was
certificated for her role within the NRF 15 organisation. Sailors from
Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, The
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the USA conducted two huge MCM
exercises. The first was an Historical Ordnance Disposal Operations (HOD
Ops) between 12 - 17 April 2010 and the second was an Exploratory
Operation clearing the approaches to and port of Frederikshavn between
18 - 22 April 2010. During the exercises all units had to defend against
both air and surface attacks. HOD Ops proved that all units are
well-prepared for the MCM task ahead. During this phase 28 of the 30
exercise mines laid were found by the MCMV’s. Brilliant Mariner 2010
also proved that MCMVs are always ready to conduct real operations.
During the second part of the exercise, the Danish minehunter HMDS
MAKRELEN found and identified a live mine which was a remnant from WWII.
The mine was reported to Danish authorities and will be destroyed making
the sea a safer place. In addition, HMDS MAKRELEN also participated in a
search and rescue operation, rescuing three crew members from a fishing
boat. They were later disembarked at Ebeltoft.
22 April 10
Successful Exercise Brilliant Mariner 2010 comes to an end.
The
successful BRILLIANT MARINER 2010 exercise which ran from 12 - 22 April
10 is designed to train and test the NATO Response Forces in their
ability to respond to any crisis worldwide. During the exercise, the
NATO units including ships, submarines and aircraft, who were operating
in the Northern and Baltic Seas,have dealt with a number of complex and
challenging scenarios, ranging from maritime attacks by ’enemy’ ships
and submarines, counter piracy and bomb disposal, together with mine
counter-measure operations. The exercise has been controlled throughout
by the NATO military staff and augmentees at NATO’s Maritime HQ,
Northwood.Pictured are the Exercise Controllers or ‘EXCON’. Commodore
Hans Helseth Norwegian Navy, pictured in the centre front row is the
Exercise Director. Either side of Commodore Helseth is ‘exercise media’
team, who helped to develop the scenario and provide realistic breaking
news storylines.
18 April 10
NATO’s Mine Hunters Make the Sea Safer in
Danish Waters
Whilst
on NATO’s Brilliant Mariner exercise, Danish Minehunter Makrelen made
the seas off Denmark safer this weekend by locating a World War II mine.
The mine, which is believed to be a UK Mark I/IV ground mine was found
in the sea at a depth of 18 metres, lying in close proximity to an
underwater communications cable. Visual sighting of the mine was made
with sophisticated inspection equipment while the ship was exercising
with NATO’s two standing Mine Countermeasures groups, along with a
number of mine hunters from Norway and Sweden. Several exercise mines
had been laid in the same area and HDMS Makrelen had already found four
of these exercise mines using sonar and their underwater vehicles.
Full Story
14 April 10
NATO’s “Brilliant Mariners” Rescue 3 Sailors From Sinking Vessel
Danish
Minehunter HMDS Makrelen was diverted from the major NATO exercise
“Brilliant Mariner 2010” late last night,13 April, to rescue two adults and
one teenage girl from the sinking cutter Kristine. Danish Navy Command
Operations Room received a call just before midnight from the Danish Police
reporting a report that the vessel Kristine was taking on water and had no
power or propulsion to pump the water out.The boat was sinking near Hjelm
Dyb in the Kattegat close to Ebeltoft. The owner requested emergency
services from his mobile phone. The Command Centre launched a SAR helicopter
and diverted the minehunter from the exercise to help search for the vessel
and crew.
Press Release
14 April 10
Exercise Brilliant Mariner Underway
87
military personnel from 15 NATO nations plus Finland, a Partnership for
Peace country,based at the Allied Maritime Command, Northwood are
controlling a maritime exercise in the Northern and Baltic seas. The
exercise, codenamed Brilliant Mariner, which started on Monday 12 April
and runs until 22 April, is designed to ensure NATO’s Response Force is
fully prepared to respond as required to operations or crisis
situations, wherever in the world they occur.
Full Story
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