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Royal Navy divers clear historic ordnance in NATO exercise
19 May 2026
Royal Navy divers helped NATO allies clear the gateway to Latvia of historic ordnance while honing the latest minehunting techniques.
Delta Squadron of the Royal Navy’s Diving and Threat Exploitation Group deployed to the Gulf of Riga to clear unexploded ordnance dating back to the two World Wars.
A historically significant body of water in the Baltic Sea, safe, free access to the gulf is vital for commercial shipping – Riga port handles nearly 2,500 ships a year – as well as the fishing community.
The gulf is relatively shallow – 54 metres at its deepest – but large at about four times the size of Hampshire. It remains littered with remnants of past conflicts, including naval mines and other hazardous munitions, posing a danger not just to commerce but also the local environment.
UK divers worked closely with ships, diving teams, autonomous and uncrewed equipment and nearly 400 personnel from Canada, the United States, Germany, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine for Exercise Open Spirit which allowed participating forces to share expertise, coordinate complex mine countermeasure operations, and enhance training together.
During the exercise, Delta Squadron worked alongside their international counterparts, employing advanced minehunting equipment and tactics to detect, identify, and safely neutralise underwater ordnance.
This included the use of the Artimis Pro handheld sonar to help divers identify objects in the dark as well as the use of the Video-Ray Defender remotely-operated vehicle.
The opportunity to use their skillset to help other nations coupled with the chance to travel and experience different countries and cultures is why all these divers joined the Royal Navy
The combined efforts not only provided invaluable real-world training but also contributed significantly to regional maritime safety by clearing dangerous wartime munitions.
Lieutenant Christopher Gray, Officer in Charge of Delta Squadron, said: “The team has really enjoyed their participation in the exercise. It’s very dark on the seabed and the conditions are extremely difficult to work in, but you can see them grow more confident in their role as a mine clearance diver each time they dive on a target.
“The opportunity to use their skillset to help other nations coupled with the chance to travel and experience different countries and cultures is why all these divers joined the Royal Navy as a mine clearance diver and represents the fulfilment of their career aspirations.”
The successful completion of Exercise Open Spirit 26 marks the sixth time in as many years that Delta Squadron have attended and highlights the strength of international cooperation in maintaining secure and safe sea lanes.
It also reinforces DTXG Delta Squadron’s commitment to operational excellence and its vital role in supporting NATO’s collective security objectives in historically contested waters.