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U.S., British navies practice mine countermeasure operations

By Stephen Carlson
The mine countermeasures ship USS Sentry (MCM 3), the Royal Navy mine hunter HMS Bangor (M109) and HMS Ledbury (M30) and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship dock Cardigan Bay (L3009) steam in formation with two MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters assigned to the "Blackhawks" of Helicopter MCM Squadron (HM) 15 during British-U.S. Mine Countermeasures Exercise 17-3 in the Arabian Gulf on Sept. 12, 2017. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Victoria Kinney/U.S. Navy/UPI
The mine countermeasures ship USS Sentry (MCM 3), the Royal Navy mine hunter HMS Bangor (M109) and HMS Ledbury (M30) and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship dock Cardigan Bay (L3009) steam in formation with two MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters assigned to the "Blackhawks" of Helicopter MCM Squadron (HM) 15 during British-U.S. Mine Countermeasures Exercise 17-3 in the Arabian Gulf on Sept. 12, 2017. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Victoria Kinney/U.S. Navy/UPI

Sept. 22 (UPI) -- The United States and British navies have completed a series of mine-countermeasure exercises in the Arabian Gulf, the U.S. Navy announced on Thursday.

The Mine Countermeasure Exercise 17-3 is a quarterly bilateral exercise to train on mine clearing operations for the protection of navy movements and commercial shipping.

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"This MCMEX provides a great opportunity for relevant and realistic training," Capt. Michael Egan, commander of Task Force 52, said in a press release.

"It is one of the many exercises we conduct with the United Kingdom and other partner nations in the region, enhancing our collective abilities to conduct integrated multinational mine countermeasures in 5th Fleet," Egan said.

MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters and the Avenger-class mine-countermeasure ship USS Sentry trained alongside the Royal Navy's RFA Cardigan Bay, HMS Bangor, HMS Blyth and HMS Ledbury.

TF 52 is attached to the U.S. 5th Fleet, which is responsible for the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea and sectors of the Indian Ocean.

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