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The Navy Continues Sea Mine Clearance in the Åland Islands

Merivoimat
Publication date 14.4.2020 13.52 | Published in English on 15.4.2020 at 13.53
Press release

The Navy continues mine identification and clearance as an executive assistance task from 14-19 April in the sea areas close to Lemland, Åland.

Last December, the Navy cleared an old sea mine in the area localised by sports divers, also detecting other objects that could possibly be mines.  The Åland Police Authority made a request for executive assistance to have these objects identified  and possibly cleared out.  In this conjunction, the Åland Police also made an executive assistance request involving a possible historic naval mine at Båtskär. 

It is not that rare to come across Winter War or Continuation War period  naval mines or ones that are older than that in the Baltic Sea area.  Mine searching is not actively conducted anymore, but a few are still localised and cleared every year.  

The Coastal Fleet is responsible for conducting these mine clearing tasks and cooperation involving them with the Åland Police and the West  Finland Coast Guard District.

The divers assigned to this task operate from the support vessel  Louhi. 

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