International exercise “Open Spirit 2014” will reduce the risk of historical explosive ordnance in Irbe Strait | Nacionālie bruņotie spēki

International exercise “Open Spirit 2014” will reduce the risk of historical explosive ordnance in Irbe Strait

04/30/2014 - 00:00
Militārās mācības
Information prepared by
Preses nodaļa

The international naval force exercise “Open Spirit 2014” will take place from 9 May to 22 May in the Latvian waters with the aim to search for and dispose the explosive ordnance from the World War I and II in the depths of the Baltic Sea.

The exercise is held annually in one of the Baltic States on rotation bases, and its objective is to clear the shipping routes, communication lines and fishing areas from the explosive ordnance thus reducing the potential risks. This international operation helps to develop cooperation, interoperability, tactics and procedures between staffs, minesweepers, and their naval explosive ordnance disposal teams.

In the exercise led by Latvian Naval Force Flotilla 26 ships and five diver teams from 13 countries will participate, as well as two Maritime Mine Counter-Measure units – the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). The exercise will be observed by the military representives of Turkey and China.

The ships will perform the exercise tasks in several groups.

The SNMCMG1 group will consist of the Norwegian Navy Staff and support ship “Valkyrien”, which will command the Dutch minesweeper “Makkun”, the Belgian minesweeper “Bellis”, the Norwegian minesweeper “Otra”, the Estonian minesweeper “Admiral Cowan”, “Cassiopee” and “L’Aigle” from France, as well as “Flaming” from Poland and Latvian Naval Force Flotilla ship “Tālivaldis”.

The Swedish Navy ships “Trossoe”, “Vinga”, “Ulvoen”, “Sturkoe” and the Norwegian ship “Hinnoey” will be a part of the Nordic group.

Exercise tasks in the German-Polish group will be performed by the German Navy ship “Elbe”, “Homburg”, “Datteln”, “Bad Bevenssen”, “Dillingen”, “Crocus” from Belgium,  and “Thetis” from Denmark, as well as BALTRON ships - “Skalvis” from Lithuania and Latvian Naval Force Flotilla ship “Viesturs”.

The naval explosive ordnance disposal team will consist of divers from Latvia, Estonia, the USA, Canada and Poland, supported by the Latvian ship “Skrunda”.

The active phase of “Open Spirit 2014” will take place from 12  to 22 May in the waters of Irbe Strait, as well as on the western coast of Latvia near Liepāja city wehre explosive ordnance disposal teams will be located. Before and after the active phase the ships will be stay at Ventspils Port.

In the morning of 9 May inhabitants and visitors of Ventspils city will have a chance to see more than 20 of the ships when they will enter the port. The other possibility to visit the ships will be on the Open Days at Ventspils Promenade on 10 and 11 May from 13.00 to 16.00.

“Open Spirit” is an annual mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal operation in the framework of NATO programme “Partnership for Peace”.

The last time the exercise was organised in the Latvian waters was in 2011 with the participation of over 20 ships and 800 marines from 11 countries. The operation resulted in finding and disposing of 45 naval mines and two torpedoes. This year’s exercise will be led by Latvia for the seventh time.

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