BUDAPEST, Hungary — Soldiers from across Europe suited up in heavy diving equipment inside a cavernous flooded stone quarry deep beneath the Hungarian capital. Once their air tanks, flippers and waterproof diving suits were secured, they slipped beneath the cold water and, flashlights in hand, disappeared into the darkness.
The military divers from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Lithuania were participating in an international training exercise in Budapest to prepare them for a variety of scenarios: recovery operations after a boat accident, rescues during a catastrophic flood, or the removal of unexploded underwater ordnance following an armed conflict.
“The most important thing is to strengthen our capabilities and work together internationally, underwater, and to know each other's equipment, techniques and procedures,” said Maj. Csaba Horvath, the chief of the training exercise from the Hungarian Defense Forces 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Riverine Guard Regiment. “That's helping us to find and dispose of underwater munitions and explosive remnants of war.”
This was the second year in a row that Hungary hosted the 10-day exercise, which provided the soldiers with hands-on training in a variety of environments: diving 24 meters (79 feet) deep into the flooded passages of a former limestone quarry, submerging into lakes and caves, and facing the powerful current of the Danube River.
For Hungary's EOD…
