The Estonian Navy, allies, hunt for historical explosives in Estonian waters

On 4 November, the Estonian Navy, together with NATO’s Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1, began a ten-day mine clearance operation in Estonian waters, during which the Navy will search for, identify and neutralise historical explosives in Pärnu Bay and the southern part of Väinameri.

“Mine clearance operations in Estonian waters provide a great opportunity for ship crews to practice procedures, from analysing the operational area to finding and neutralising mines. Historical minefields allow for full-scale mine clearance exercises, and these operations in the Baltic Sea and Estonia are highly valued among our allies,” Captain Johan-Elias Seljamaa, the deputy commander of the Estonian Navy, said in a statement.

Captain Seljamaa also pointed out that these operations not only make Estonian waters safer, but also allow the allies to familiarise themselves with the unique characteristics of the local maritime environment, which will support similar operations in the future, both in peacetime and during crises.

On 9 November, French and Lithuanian minehunters participating in the operation will dock in Pärnu Hharbor, allowing the public to visit the ships. The ships will be open for visits from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Contributing to mine hunting every year

A total of seven ships are participating in the mine clearance operation: Estonia’s minehunter Sakala, Germany’s support ship Werra and minehunter Weilheim, Lithuania’s minehunter LVS Skalvis, Belgium’s minehunter Lobelia, the Netherlands’ minehunter Willemstad and France’s minehunter Croix du Sud.

Estonia has been contributing to NATO’s Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 since 2005 with both support ships and minehunters, and has staffed the unit’s commander and other staff positions. 

Estonia contributes a minehunter to the group every year. The most recent Estonian rotation in the international allied mine clearance group ended in the summer of 2024, and the next one will begin in early 2025.

As one of the four groups under NATO’s Maritime Command, Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 is a readiness unit that provides mine clearance expertise and is tasked with being among the first responders. The group consists mainly of ships with mine clearance capabilities from allied countries and participates in various national exercises and large-scale drills.