The U.S. Navy, the South Korea Navy and 15 partner and allied nations participated in the Multinational Mine Warfare Exercise 25 near Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 31.
The South Korean Navy hosts the annual exercise whose goal is to enhance mine countermeasures (MCM) proficiency within a multinational force. During this year’s exercise, U.S. and Korean forces enhanced interoperability through MCM training involving undersea unmanned vehicles and command and control integration across the multilateral force.
U.S. MCM forces were led by Command Task Force (CTF) 77 that was forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan. CTF-77 Subordinate units include the USS Patriot, USS Pioneer, USS Warrior and USS Chief and HM15, Detachment 3A.
“Mine countermeasures is a vital skillset for any maritime nation to hone,” Capt. Peter Haynes, CTF-77 commander, said. “We are honored to work alongside our partners and allies to do our part to ensure the Indo-Pacific remains free and open.”
In addition, explosive ordnance disposal personnel participated in a series of multilateral exercises to enhance interoperability for the detection and disposal of undersea mines in a joint environment. The exercises combined personnel expertise with the capabilities of unmanned air and undersea vehicles.
Other participants include Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.