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North Atlantic anti-submarine defences bolstered after NATO workout
11 June 2026
The northern gateway to the Atlantic is more secure thanks to a two-week NATO anti-submarine workout involving hundreds of Royal Navy and RAF personnel.
Three ships and aircraft from four squadrons from the UK comprised the largest individual national input to Dynamic Mongoose 2026 which has completed off the west coast of Norway.
Shared between hosts Iceland and Norway – this year it fell to the latter to lead – the exercise drew in six NATO nations, who committed both personnel and military hardware.
Over two weeks they played the game of cat-and-mouse submarines and surface forces have contested for over a century, harnessing the latest tactics and technology.
It’s all practised regularly in ops rooms and simulators, but having live targets – anything which floats for submariners, anything which bounces back a ping for sub hunters – raises things a few notches.
Beneath the waves: a German U-boat and submarines from Portugal and the Netherlands.
And above them: six warships, one auxiliary – NATO’s Standing Group 1, bolstered by HMS Prince of Wales’ carrier group.
The former, currently commanded by the RN under Commodore Maryla Ingham aboard German frigate FGS Sachsen, led the hunt… assisted by Merlins operating from the carrier’s sprawling flight deck.
And just for good measure, throw in some RAF P8 Poseidon Maritime Aircraft from CXX Squadron, conducting sweeps and peppering suspected submarine routes with sonobuoy listening devices.
The involvement of HMS Duncan and Britain’s flagship brought extra air power into the mix this year – not just Merlin Mk2s for hunting, but Wildcats from 815 Naval Air Squadron for force protection thanks to their Martlet and Sea Venom missiles.
Dynamic Mongoose has provided first-class training for the crews of maritime patrol aircraft, anti-submarine helicopters, ships and the submarines themselves. It has enhanced our ability to work together and the integration of nine different Nations across the Force has shown our ability to do so seamlessly
Exercise directors also committed drones and autonomous systems to the fray.
The results of the various ‘battles’ and serials will be studied in due course by NATO experts and tacticians, with the lessons incorporated in the alliance’s new Arctic Sentry mission, introduced in February to step up vigilance in the High North / Norwegian Sea / North Atlantic in view of Russia’s increased activity in the region.
Aboard the Sachsen, Cdre Ingham and her staff know from experience and initial feedback that the exercise has been a ‘real success’ for all participants, individually and collectively.
“We proved the successful integration of advanced capabilities and technologies, as well as refining and refreshing our tactics, techniques and procedures, during an increasingly complex series of exercises against live submarines,” she said.
“Dynamic Mongoose has provided first-class training for the crews of maritime patrol aircraft, anti-submarine helicopters, ships and the submarines themselves. It has enhanced our ability to work together and the integration of nine different Nations across the Force has shown our ability to do so seamlessly.
“The area in which the exercise took place is of strategic importance for the Alliance and training here helps us understand the environment.”
Mid-exercise she conferred with her carrier counterpart Commodore Rich Hewitt to see how the leviathan found taking part in manoeuvres normally the domain of frigates and corvettes.
“Dynamic Mongoose was a great opportunity to fully immerse the Carrier Strike Group with our tailored air wing into NATO’s premier anti-submarine warfighting exercise,” he said.
“We are constantly developing our warfighting readiness and capabilities alongside our NATO allies, and anti-submarine warfare is a critical part of defending NATO’s Northern Flank.
“It was great to meet up with Cdre Ingham again and share knowledge and experience on current threats, enhance our combined anti-submarine warfare tactics and mission capabilities.”
Mongoose is one of two ‘Dynamic’ exercises focused on anti-submarine warfare testing forces in two very different environments – the depth of the ocean, salinity, temperature play key roles whether you are the hunter or hunted – with the Manta series of war games played out in the Mediterranean.
Post exercise HMS Prince of Wales put into Stavanger, while HMS Duncan accompanied Denmark’s Esbern Snare back to her homeland for a visit to the ‘city of smiles’, Aarhus, for a port visit.
On the journey south from the Norwegian Sea to the Baltic, the two vessels swapped sailors to give them a taste of life with the respective navies.