National Public Radio
May 4, 2015
NATO Forces Launch Largest Anti-Submarine Exercises Ever Off Norway Coast
Jackie Northam
Naval Forces from 10 NATO countries and Sweden have launched a massive anti-submarine exercise in the Norwegian Sea. The two-week exercise, dubbed Dynamic Mongoose, brings together thousands of NATO troops, and dozens of vessels, including submarines, that will practice hunting, attacking and avoiding detection, according to news reports.
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The exercise follows recent reports of foreign vessels in the sovereign waters of a number of northern European nations. Last month, the Finnish navy chased an “underwater object” believed to be a submarine. It dropped depth charges to warn the intruder it had been detected, according to the Associated Press.
As NPR reported earlier, Sweden launched a hunt for a possible Russian submarine operating clandestinely in Swedish waters last October. It was the largest submarine hunt since the Cold War.
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“We’re aware of the incidents that have happened in some of our partner nations’ waters,” said Williamson, the NATO commander. “I think for us what it does is it focuses our efforts and our training here,” according to Stars and Stripes.
The vessels — above and below the water — will practice mastering tactics before moving into drawn-out scenarios, which could include protecting an oil tanker or supply ship that might make for an appealing torpedo target, Williamson said.
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