For much of the post-Cold War period, the naval mine has occupied a marginal place in defence thinking. Despite becoming increasingly technically formidable and well proven to be effective, the response to the threat was consistently under-resourced. Recent events in the Gulf and Black Sea have shown that a well-placed mine, or even credible intelligence that one has been laid, is sufficient to impact global trade routes. The mine does not even need to detonate to be effective. (From: Naval Lookout)
Against that backdrop, the demands placed on military divers have grown in both scope and complexity. The RN’s Diving and Threat Exploitation Group (DTXG), which replaced the Fleet Diving Squadron in 2022 in the most significant restructuring of the branch since 1996, operates across EOD, maritime counter-IED operations and underwater force protection. DTXG’s commanding officer described the transformation as enabling RN clearance divers to be the most agile, lethal and technically advanced they have ever been, capable of operating alongside the Commando Force and in support of special forces operations as well as conventional fleet tasks. The group is based across Portsmouth, Plymouth and Faslane, with roles spanning explosive disposal of historic ordnance, clearing sea mines, deterring threats overseas, and conducting emergency underwater maintenance on warships.
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