HMS Portland joins NATO for 'Dynamic Mongoose' test hunting submarines

Working in the waters of the ‘Greenland gap’ and the Norwegian Sea, ‘Dynamic Mongoose’ was the alliance’s largest test of it’s anti-submarine forces in the North Atlantic.

Plymouth-based HMS Portland, whose crew includes people from Dorset, was one of 11 surface ships involved in the hunt, aided by seven helicopter and 16 maritime patrol aircraft.

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Over six days, they spent nearly 150 hours hunting three submarines acting as prey (two conventional diesel boats and an American nuclear-powered hunter-killer).

USS John Warner sails in-front of (from front to back) HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, HDMS Absalon, HMS Portland, HNLMS Karl Doorman during EXERCISE DYNAMIC MONGOOSE as part of OPERATION REASSURANCE on 19 June 2022. Photo by: Pte Connor Bennett Canadian Armed Forces Imagery Technician.

The Royal Navy said that HMS Portland and her Merlin alone make a ‘formidable combination in hunting down a submarine’ but the addition of the RAF’s new P8 Poseidon aircraft to the search has ‘helped take the UK to the next level’.

Underwater warfare specialist AB Lewis Hunter said: “Dynamic Moose 22 has shown us that the combined efforts of these world-leading anti-submarine warfare capabilities are a force to be reckoned with.

Operation Dynamic Mongoose. Picture: Royal Navy

“All arms anti-submarine warfare is the ‘new normal’ as we continue to regain operational advantage in the North Atlantic.”

The exercise focused on actively finding underwater threats by sending sound waves through the Atlantic depths in the hope of striking a submarine and getting a ‘ping’ back, rather than a passive search, just listening for a submarine.

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Portland’s senior warfare officer Lieutenant Commander Tony Kane said: “Dynamic Mongoose has enabled Group 1 to refine its ability to locate, track and prosecute threat submarines, a threat delivered by three very different types of submarines for the task group to practise its skills against.”

From from to back; HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, HDMS Absalon, HMS Portland, HNLMS Karl Doorman sail pass each other during EXERCISE DYNAMIC MONGOOSE as part of OPERATION REASSURANCE on 19 June 2022. Photo by: Pte Connor Bennett Canadian Armed Forces Imagery Technician.

HMS Portland’s commanding officer Commander Tim Leader believed the opportunity for Portland to operate with submarines, ships, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft from both sides of the Atlantic in a space spanning from Iceland to Norway has been ‘most welcome’.

He added: “It has been evident that the NATO group is a well-practised and extremely capable group of ships. At the heart of this capability are the teams of highly professional sailors from across the NATO alliance whose determination and expertise are the key factor in our seamless integration into the Standing NATO Maritime Task Group.”