Nov 3 2023

Video: NATO Ally Türkiye trains to hunt mines in the Sea of Marmara

To counter the serious threat of sea mines, NATO keeps two Mine Countermeasures Group– one based in the Baltic Sea, the other in the Mediterranean - on standby at all times. The Turkish minehunter TCG Akçay recently conducted a counter-mine exercise, ensuring its readiness to handle all taskings.

Join Ben Cooke, a former UK Royal Marines Commando on assignment for NATO with the Turkish minehunter TCG Akçay in the Sea of Marmara. Follow him as he takes a dive with the Turkish Navy to detonate a dummy mine.

TCG Akçay – which previously served with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) – has a variety of means to dispose of sea mines. Its powerful sonar can detect mines that are either moored or ground in the sea floor, while a special system reduces the ship’s magnetic field, preventing it against sea mines. Once a mine has been detected, the ship can deploy a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to confirm the nature of the explosive, and mine clearance divers to render it safe, often by detonating it in place.