Saudi, UK, U.S. Naval Forces Conduct Mine Countermeasures Training

29 November 2020

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN (Nov. 11, 2020) – Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), Royal Navy and U.S. Navy forces participated in mine countermeasures (MCM) interoperability training in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 9-12.

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The training follows a previous iteration that took place in June and focused on enhancing mine hunting and communications interoperability between the three navies.

Royal Saudi Naval Force mine countermeasures vessel Shaqra (422), left, mine countermeasure ship USS Dextrous (MCM 13), middle, Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel HMS Brocklesby (M 33) and a MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter, attached to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15, sail in formation during mine countermeasures interoperability training, led by Commander, Task Force (CTF) 52 in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 11. CTF 52 provides command and control of all mine warfare assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. The 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen.

Royal Saudi Naval Force mine countermeasures vessel Al-Shaqra (MCMV 422) sails in formation during mine countermeasures interoperability training , led by Commander, Task Force (CTF) 52 in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 11. CTF 52 provides command and control of all mine warfare assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. The 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen.

Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel HMS Brocklesby (M 33) sails in formation during mine countermeasures interoperability training in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 11. Commander, Task Force 52 provides command and control of all mine warfare assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. The 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen.

Mine countermeasure ship USS Dextrous (MCM 13), front, Royal Saudi Naval Force mine countermeasures vessel Al-Shaqra (MCMV 422), middle, and Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel HMS Brocklesby (M 33) sail in formation during mine countermeasures interoperability training, led by Commander, Task Force (CTF) 52 in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 11. CTF 52 provides command and control of all mine warfare assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. The 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen.

Royal Saudi Naval Force mine countermeasures vessel Al-Shaqra (MCMV 422), front, Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel HMS Brocklesby (M 33), middle, and mine countermeasure ship USS Dextrous (MCM 13) sail in formation during mine countermeasures interoperability training, led by Commander, Task Force (CTF) 52 in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 11. CTF 52 provides command and control of all mine warfare assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. The 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen.

Mine countermeasure ship USS Dextrous (MCM 13), front, Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel HMS Brocklesby (M 33), middle, and Royal Saudi Naval Force mine countermeasures vessel Al-Shaqra (MCMV 422) sail in formation during mine countermeasures interoperability training, led by Commander, Task Force (CTF) 52 in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 11. CTF 52 provides command and control of all mine warfare assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. The 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen.

"This second round of training allowed us to refine our MCM procedures as a combined team,” said UK Royal Navy Captain Don Crosbie, deputy commander of Task Force 52. “Building cohesion is the best way to continuously increase our defensive capabilities as a coalition.”

Participating mine countermeasures ships included the RSNF Al-Shaqra (MCMV 422), UK Royal Navy HMS Brockelsby (M 33), and U.S. Navy USS Dextrous (MCM 13). An MH-53E Sea Dragon attached to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 provided aerial mine hunting support.

In addition to these forces at sea, the RSNF Mine Warfare Center provided command and control from King Abdulaziz Naval Base in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet, visit www.cusnc.navy.mil/

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