GALLERY: Port protection drill in Rotterdam

The Royal Netherlands Navy, Police, Port of Rotterdam authority and other Dutch agencies are taking part in exercise ‘Port Defender’ in Rotterdam.

Special navy and police forces are practicing harbor protection against major incidents and terror threats.

The two-day exercise started April 12 at the Wilhelminapier where the Dutch Navy landing platform dock ship HNLMS Rotterdam will be docked throughout the exercise.

As part of the exercise, special forces of the Marine Corps and the Special Intervention Service (Dienst Speciale Interventies DSI) freed a ship hijacked by terrorists with explosives on board.

Navy divers and military maritime bomb squad were also put through their paces.