A contact mine containing 80kg of explosives dating from the Second World War was found in the waters on the Belgian coast on Thursday during a routine.
During the first check of the day, the crew of the Navy patrol vessel P901 Castor discovered an old German mine dating from the Second World War along the coast on Thursday, the Defence Ministry announced.
"During the first check of the day, a contact mine containing some 80 kilograms of explosives was found on board a fishing boat. Anything but a boring morning for our marines, and even less so for the fishermen," the statement read.
A four-member team from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Destruction Service (DOVO) then went to the scene to recover the mine safely.
"It’s not unusual for fishermen to bring back explosive devices in their nets (…). But this is the first time I’ve seen such a device," said one of the deminers.
Mission successful
After analysing the risks and the condition of the device, experts of the team took the decision to transfer it on board the patrol boat and detonate it at sea using 4.5 kg of explosives, 25 km from the Coast.
The control centre and all ships within a large perimeter were notified via radio. To rule out accidents, radar was also closely monitored. One solid explosion later, the mine had been destroyed. After checking that the Castor itself had suffered no damage below the waterline, the mission was declared accomplished.
The Castor is one of the Navy’s two patrol boats, along with its sister ship, the P902 Pollux. It entered service in 2014 and carries out a number of military missions: surveillance of territorial waters and wind farms, control of submarine cables, etc. It also has the task of supporting the maritime authorities in controls concerning drugs, human trafficking and monitoring the rules at sea.
