Dynamic Mongoose: Submarine hunting
More than 500 submariners, sailors and aviators from the Royal Navy took to Iceland to battle it out in a NATO warfare exercise this month
Exercise Dynamic Mongoose is an annual NATO exercise hosted by our Nordic allies — Iceland.
This year the High North exercise saw 6 nations, 5 surface ships, 5 submarines and 5 marine patrol aircraft take part in a complex game of ‘cat and mouse’.
The 14-day training exercise honed the sailor’s skills in Anti-Submarine warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface warfare training.
Each surface ship carried out a variety of submarine warfare operations. The submarines took turns hunting and being hunted, closely harmonising their efforts with the air and surface partners.
At the height of the hunt, both ships and submarines maintained maximum silence to prevent giving their locations away — sailors moved around the ship in their socks to minimise noise when clambering up and down ladders.
Everything is fastened down tightly to prevent doors and hatches banging or tools falling out of racks.
Dynamic Mongoose is the second of NATO’s two annual anti-submarine workouts, following Dynamic Manta off Sicily back in February this year.
Behind the name: The word ‘Dynamic’ denotes a NATO exercise, the following word beginning with ‘M’ means that that it’s of a maritime nature.
Royal Navy frigates, HMS Kent and Westminster, led the charge above the waves, while below the waves is Royal Navy submarine, HMS Trenchant. Both HMS Kent and Westminister were equipped with their very own submarine-hunting Merlin helicopters.
HMS Trenchant, along with subs from NATO allies, acted as the cutting-edge opponents to the surface and aerial hunters.
The RAF also took to the skies for the first time in the exercise. An RAF Poseidon P8 — maritime patrol aircraft — tested the ability of NATO’s anti-submarine forces to collectively deal with the latest underwater threats.
The aircraft tested the ability of submarine crews on how to evade and detect incoming threats.
Dynamic Mongoose is one of the most challenging exercises and each year is an opportunity for naval forces to experience complex and challenging warfare training and to sharpen NATO’s ability to operate together in Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface warfare skills.
