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Maritime Forces Participate in BALTOPS 2012 Mine Detonation

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS120607-02
6/7/2012

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Brian T. Glunt, Navy Public Affairs Support Element-East Detachment Europe

USS NORMANDY, At Sea (NNS) -- Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2012 featured a controlled detonation of a live mine in the Baltic Sea, June 4.

Over the course of two world wars the Baltic Sea was a major combat zone, wherein hundreds of thousands of mines were laid.

"The mine detonation was conducted as a familiarization to display to all of the participants what a mine detonation feels like," said Mineman 1st Class (SW) Sean Silman. "They do this at the beginning of the BALTOPS exercise because there is still a possibility mine hunters may find ordnance left over from World War II. Most of it has been cleared, but in the event of finding ordnance, this exercise prepares us for how we go about handling an undetonated mine."

"The Baltic was the scene for a lot of mine warfare," said Lt. Gary Vines, BALTOPS weather officer assisting the mine warfare syndicates. "This is important because each time there is a Baltic Sea operation, mines are found."

The multinational mine hunters aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) use mine sweeping and mine hunting methods involving sonar technology to locate mines on the sea floor.

"When one finds a mine, they would certainly get excited," said Cmdr. Torsten Wedig, a member of the German navy and BALTOPS mine warfare syndicate lead. "As counter-miners, we get rid of the mines normally by detonation. It's a success in our core business when we find mines. It's a great training opportunity and gives reassurance that we are doing a good job. The exchange of knowledge and expertise is the whole reason we are out here, and it has been great. So while I'm learning a lot from my U.S. counterparts, I hope they also learn from my mine warfare expertise and background."