WATERS SURROUNDING THE KOREAN PENINSULA – U.S. mine countermeasures units commenced training with Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy and regional partner counterparts for the first-ever multilateral iteration of the mine countermeasure exercise Clear Horizon 2016, Oct. 16.
Clear Horizon, an annual multi-national exercise designed to increase the capabilities and coordination between ships, aircraft, and undersea mine countermeasure (MCM) forces between participating nations, which include the U.S. Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
This is also the first year since the Korean War that the Philippines and Thailand have participated in an exercise in the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
“As allies, we are committed to building on our collective expertise in this critical warfare area,” said Capt. Jim Miller, commodore, Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7. “This exercise provides great training value, and we look forward to working with our ROK counterparts along with our regional partners over the next week.”
During the exercise, U.S. Navy mine countermeasure (MCM) units will work with Korean MCMs and partners to practice clearing routes for shipping as well as conducting training surveys for clearing future operational areas.
Mine clearing helicopters are scheduled to practice hunting mines mine from the air. Helicopters also are scheduled to practice deck landing qualifications on participating ships.
Explosive ordnance personnel will conduct helicopter casting operations and very shallow water operations to simulate neutralizing mines.
U.S. Navy participation includes USS Warrior (MCM 14), Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7, MH-53E helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) and teams from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 5.