Over the past two weeks, 26 Dutch Navy personnel were among 6,500 personnel from 35 countries practicing the combating of so-called asymmetrical threats on shore and at sea, focusing on mine countermeasures.
This was all part of the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX), based in Bahrain. The main objective of this exercise, the largest in its kind, was to learn how to conduct combined operations against submerged explosives, such as mines. The exercise involved scenarios related to mine countermeasures, maritime security operations and the protection of maritime infrastructure, such as ports and oil rigs. IMCMEX also served to prepare Dutch military personnel for expeditionary operations in the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula.
[mappress] Press Release, May 30, 2013; Image: Dutch MoD