Naval exercise Dugong 2019 started in Australia for countermeasure and explosive ordnance disposal professionals.

The military naval exercise Dugong 2019 started in Australia bringing together countermeasure and explosive ordnance disposal professionals from five countries. Dugong 2019 brings mine warfare and dive teams from United States of America, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand together for two weeks to practice contemporary mine warfare and dive salvage techniques and procedures in the vicinity of Garden Island.

Navy Divers assigned to Mobile Diving Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1 and Royal Australian Navy Divers conduct scuba diving operations during Exercise Dugong 2016, in Sydney, Australia. (Picture source U.S. Navy)

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five (EODMU5), Platoon 502 brings highly skilled technicians who can render safe all types of ordinance, in addition to the ability to safely dispose of hazardous munitions, pyrotechnics, and retrograde explosives using detonation and burning techniques.

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) One will also take part, conducting harbor clearance operations in the vicinity of Garden Island, enhancing interoperability and diving capabilities as a part of the international exercise.

“Through exercise Dugong 2019, our EOD teams will work side-by-side with their counterparts in the Royal Australian Navy to conduct a Full Mission Profile of Unmanned Systems (UMS) and Mine Countermeasures (MCM) to detect, classify, and neutralize potential threats,” said Cmdr. Brandon Casperson, chief staff officer Commander, Task Force 75. “Exercises like Dugong 2019 are an important part of building confidence with our foreign partners and increasing our interoperability proficiency within the MCM platforms. It also provides us an opportunity to exchange best practices with equipment, tactics, techniques, and procedures in Mine Countermeasures.”

Dugong also provides an opportunity to practice mine countermeasure techniques in a unique environment. Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One (EODMU1), Platoon 142 will also join the exercise, using Unmanned Systems (UMS) to practice detecting mines and mine-like objects without putting personnel at risk in a suspected minefield. By participating in Dugong, they can test their equipment and procedures in an area where salinity, water temperature and ocean floor contours differ from the environments that they are used to.