TOULON, France –
U.S. Sailors from EOD Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8) and Commander, US Sixth Fleet (C6F) Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Detachment (Det.) Rota, joined service members from Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) for NATO exercise Dynamic Mariner, Sept. 25, 2020.
This exercise is designed to enhance NATO Response Force (NRF) 2020 Component Command-Marines Headquarters and its forces while taking every precaution to ensure the participants' health and safety while maintaining operational readiness in a COVID 19 environment.
“The MCM training objectives this year focus on a port breakout, amphibious operations, and force protection of Mediterranean assets. This is an amazing opportunity to conduct MCM and EOD training with some exceptionally professional and capable allies,” said a platoon commander assigned to EODMU 8.
C6F MCM Det. Rota, partnered with NATO’s CMRE onboard NATO research vessel Alliance (A 5346), is utilizing the unique MCM environment within Dynamic Mariner/Olives Noire to accelerate autonomous underwater vehicle technology. Through a cooperative effort of several U.S. and international research and development organizations, experiments in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle collaborative autonomy continue to push MCM technology forward.
The U.S. participation in this exercise demonstrates the U.S. commitment to working closely with NATO allies and partners to enhance maritime security and stability, readiness, and naval capability.
EODMU 8 and C6F MCM Det Rota are Task Groups under Navy Expeditionary Combat Force Europe-Africa/Task Force 68 (NECFEURAF/TF 68). NECFEURAF/TF 68 executes operational command and control of assigned and allocated Naval Expeditionary Forces within the EUCOM and AFRICOM AORs to include explosive ordnance disposal, diving and salvage, expeditionary engineering, Phase 0 Mine Countermeasures, expeditionary logistics, and expeditionary security operations in support of NAVEUR, NAVAF, C6F and TF 6 in order to protect U.S. interests, deter aggression, reassure allies and partners, promote security and stability, and support all domain access.