Submarines are still one of the most dangerous naval assets. They are neither fast and agile, nor can they visually impress the enemy with fearsome weapons. But their ability to dive into the depths of the ocean and pose a danger that is extremely difficult to locate makes them weapons systems that demand a disproportionately high level of attention from their opponents, and not just since the German successes in the Second World War.
Germany's allies in NATO are aware of this aspect; many of them are themselves in possession of modern submarines. This year's Dynamic Mongoose exercise shows that they are aware of the latent danger. The manoeuvre, to which the Norwegians had invited this time, began on 28 June. In addition to the host nation, Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Canada and the USA are taking part with various units. The two participating submarines naturally take centre stage, alternating between the roles of hunter and hunted. Opposite them are six surface units and a total of eight Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). The latter benefit from bases in Great Britain and Iceland, which shorten the distance to the operational area in the far north. Ultimately, the participants will be able to train cooperation in submarine hunting under realistic conditions. The highly equipped MPAs are now indispensable helpers in tracking down submerged boats. With their modern electronics, they are able to search a large sea area relatively quickly and pass on their findings to the surface vessels. They can then co-operate in the fight.
One of NATO's strengths is its well-established command, control and communication structures. These capabilities can only be kept up to date with regular, realistic exercises such as Dynamic Mongoose.
Text: mb; Photo: Bundeswehr
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