What could be lurking beneath the waves in the Sea of Marmara? Our video journalist joins the Turkish Navy to find out.
SYNOPSIS
To counter the serious threat of sea mines, NATO keeps two Mine Countermeasures Group– one based in the Baltic Sea, the other in the Mediterranean - on standby at all times. The Turkish minehunter TCG Akçay recently conducted a counter-mine exercise, ensuring its readiness to handle all taskings.
Join Ben Cook, a former UK Royal Marines Commando on assignment for NATO with the Turkish minehunter TCG Akçay in the Sea of Marmara. Follow him as he takes a dive with the Turkish Navy to detonate a dummy mine.
TCG Akçay – which previously served with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) – has a variety of means to dispose of sea mines. Its powerful sonar can detect mines that are either moored or ground in the sea floor, while a special system reduces the ship’s magnetic field, preventing it against sea mines. Once a mine has been detected, the ship can deploy a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to confirm the nature of the explosive, and mine clearance divers to render it safe, often by detonating it in place.
TRANSCRIPT (AUDIO AND TEXT ON SCREEN)
—PIECE TO CAMERA--
“I’m Ben Cook, a former Royal Marines
Commando, on an assignment for NATO aboard
a Turkish mine clearing ship.”
TOS: SEA OF MARMARA
--VOICEOVER--
“Since Russia started its war against Ukraine,
NATO Allies Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania
have had to clear mines
that have drifted into their waters.
It's a dangerous job for which they have to train regularly and they've asked me to join in.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
TÜRKIYE’S MINE CLEARANCE DIVERS
—SOUNDBITE IN TURKISH
Sailor, TCG Akçay
‘A contact on the starboard side.
Medium range.’
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH
Ben Cook, Video Producer
“So this chap here has just presumably spotted a mine. I don't know how because we are at such a level to the sea that it must be so difficult to be able to spot it.
So this is the remotely operated vehicle or ROV as the guys keep calling it.
So I think what's happened at the moment is that they have now spotted the mine and they are sending this vehicle out to go and get up close and just try and get a bit more intelligence on what it looks like.
So these guys here in the control, information and command centre are basically controlling the ROV from a distance now.
So as well as having the camera, we've also got this sonar picture.
And this sailor has identified what he believes to be a mine just here. So he's now going to bring the ROV in slightly closer and try to positively identify whether this is a mine or not.
They've now made the decision that they're going to bring the ROV back onto board
and they're going to mobilise the divers.
So let's go see the divers.”
SOUNDBITE IN TURKISH – Petty officer Senior Sergeant Muhammed Burak Temiz. Mine clearance diver, TCG Akçay
‘Mine clearance divers are professional diving and demining personnel consisting of officers, petty officers and specialised sergeants who have successfully completed 4.5 months of challenging training.’
--VOICEOVER--
“As a former Royal Marine, I’ve spent a bit of time at sea.
But what I'm about to do is all very new.
Rubber-suited and booted, it was time to take to the water.”
--PIECE TO CAMERA--
“You know, you got all this technology and all this equipment, but really at the end of the day
you need somebody to swim up and identify and do the work themselves.’
--VOICEOVER--
“We dive down to inspect the mine.
Despite this being a dummy, it all felt very real.’
SOUNDBITE IN TURKISH – Petty Officer Senior Sergeant Muhammed Burak Temiz. TCG Akçay Mine warfare diver.
‘We are experts as mine clearance divers and when we approach the mine, we feel the excitement of doing our duty, not fear.’
--VOICEOVER--
‘The divers placed a small charge on the mine designed to cut its tether and bring it to the surface.
The Turkish EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team placed the explosive charges on the mine before retreating to a safe distance and detonating it.’
--UPSOT—LOUD EXPLOSION
The training mission successfully completed,
it was time to head back to port.”
--PIECE TO CAMERA’
“I love the sea. I always have.
And today has been really, really insightful to see just how mine clearance operations work.
Would I do it? Probably not.
I'll leave it to the professionals.”
###END###
Music
Endless_Panorama_Instrumental_Hirondelle / Keep_You_Movin_Instrumental_Ferrari_Hirt_McKinnies / Enter_the_Void_Instrumental_Wiedmann
Usage rights
This media asset is free for editorial broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is restricted for use for other purposes.
Subscribe
