Face to face with bombs in the land of fire and ice
Bomb disposal experts faced down the latest threats when they joined NATO experts for ten days in Iceland
A team from the newly-formed Expeditionary Diving Group joined more than 60 experts dealing with over 300 bombs, mines and homemade explosives to ensure they can neutralise them.
The specialist divers left their usual fins, masks and diving sets behind in favour of a lightweight remotely-controlled vehicle, Dragon Runner, X-ray equipment and an awkward 38kg bomb suit to deal with devices on land.
The Britons were presented differing threatening situations from drone-delivered explosives devices to 3D-printed limpet mines and a suicide bomber.
The group practised alongside nine teams from seven nations on NATO’s during this exercise — known as Exercise Northern Challenge.
Exercise Northern Challenge is an opportunity for skill and knowledge sharing: preparing members of NATO, their programme Partner for Peace, and Nordic nations to react to terrorist attacks and improve training.
Instead of on the water or shoreline, Northern Challenge was played out on unforgiving volcanic terrain at Keflavik, next to the international airport, where the teams were exposed to relentless winds and low temperatures.
The exercise allows a unique insight into the equipment, tactics and teamwork other nations’ bomb disposal experts use. As important as rendering a bomb safe — or detonating safely if necessary — is collecting forensic evidence to understand how the device worked, and to help the authorities catch the perpetrators.
“As bomb disposal experts we are trained first to the equivalent standard of an Army operator before acquiring the specialist maritime skills to deliver in our own environment”
— Lieutenant Commander Armstrong
“All NATO nations train their explosive ordnance disposal operators to a common standard but decades of experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland have permitted the UK to hone its skills to a tee”
— Lieutenant Commander Rory Armstrong
Last year, the Royal Navy team was called on to evaluate attacks on oil tankers in the Middle East and needed to remain at the leading edge of disposal. The stakes were raised during the exercise with devices targeting the individual disposal operators.
“Every action of the operator has a consequence and any lapse in attention to detail risks your own life and that of the operator called upon to deal with the next bomb. There is simply no better place to train.”
— Petty Officer (Diver) James Shell
The Expeditionary Diving Group has been formed this year in place of the long-standing Fleet Diving Group. Taking responsibility for specialist dive teams who deploy around the world to protect the Royal Navy and British shipping, key ports and infrastructure.
They also take on a new mission, a dedicated bomb-disposal team accompanying the UK’s new carrier task groups.
“I’m tremendously proud of my team’s ability to more than match the capabilities of our multinational counterparts in what is in effect a secondary role.”
— Lieutenant Commander Armstrong
The divers have now returned to Portsmouth having benefited hugely from their Icelandic experience.
