Royal Navy-led MCM task group clears the way for Iraqi maritime trade

A mine countermeasures task group involving 22 naval vessels and 640 personnel from four countries is nearing the end of a seven-week operation to survey and declare safe all known mine danger areas (MDAs) off the coasts of Iraq and Kuwait.

Led by the UK Royal Navy (RN), the 'historic ordnance disposal' mission is intended to encourage Iraqi maritime trade by facilitating a reduction in the insurance premiums charged to shipping companies operating in the northern Persian Gulf.

"Up until now we haven't had the technology to tackle this very shallow water area [less than 6 m deep]. It's the most demanding area for us as mine-warfare specialists," said Commander David Hunkin, who commands Coalition Task Group (CTG) 158.2. "We now have that technology; this is the first time it's been used and we're really pleased with the way it's worked."

CTG 158.2's assets include RN Hunt-class and Sandown-class mine countermeasures vessels (MCMVs), Avenger-class MCMVs of the US Navy (USN), the forward repair ship RFA Diligence (serving also as staff headquarters), the ocean-going tug USNS Catawba (providing diving support) and Iraqi Navy patrol craft. Dive teams are being deployed by the UK, US and Kuwaiti navies.

The 12 MDAs under scrutiny in Operation 'Ardent Remedy' are the remnants of defensive minefields, or suspected minefields, laid by Saddam Hussein's forces in the run-up to the 1991 and 2003 wars. A significant clearance effort in 1991/2 resulted in the destruction of 1,300 mines. However, technological limitations meant that very shallow water MDAs remained inaccessible for 17 years. 393 of 3,774 words