CDS

e all know, in broad terms, maintainers, pipeline welders, the list goes measures, maritime tactical operations and what a diver is – not the on. And then there are the military types. underwater battle damage and repair. Olympic kind, elegantly In Australia, both the Army and Navy In addition to their diving and Wentering the water from a train men for working-diver specialties. The skills, clearance divers are trained to a height, but the black-rubber-suited kind, Navy, as one might expect, requires divers much higher standard of fi tness and fl opping backwards off the side of a boat, for tasks as obvious as ship maintenance weapon handling than just about anyone air through a mouthpiece below the waterline. outside special- elements. attached to cylinders on his back. But, perhaps less obvious, and certainly Navy clearance diving, as the name Many divers the world over pursue less well known in any great detail, is a merely hints, is a specialty predominantly underwater activity for pleasure or sport. Navy diving specialty that pushes men to concerned with clearing mines and other But there are also those who make the very edge of what any sane person to naval shipping. their living under the water. would consider the comfort zone – the Sound simple? Well consider for a Abalone fi shermen, biologists, Navy clearance diver (CD). moment the task before AUSCDT3 treasure hunters, oil-rig The Royal Australian Navy has two (Australian Clearance 3 – clearance diving teams – AUSCDT1 based raised when of CDs deploy in Sydney and Perth-based AUSCDT4. overseas) at the opening of the Each of those teams has three main involvement in Iraq. Working in murky elements – mine counter- water where visibility was so poor that they literally couldn’t see their own hands raised close to their diving masks, their task was to explore every inch of The Royal Australian Navy fi elds very special teams of underwater operators putting themselves in harms way to secure safe passage for shipping.

WORDS BRIAN HARTIGAN PICS PHIL BARLING AND ADF

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the Umm Qasr facilities, declaring the port removed from the boat before being CLEARANCE free from anti-ship mines or other nautical removed from the water. On top of DIVER SKILL hazards. And this with the added that, hundreds of suspicious objects of political and humanitarian deadlines eventually dismissed as simply SETSEETSS bearing down from on high. part of the detritus of a modern But even this description doesn’t clarify port, none-the-less had to be what they actually do under the water. examined and classifi ed before They look for objects, deliberately seeded being dismissed or removed. below the surface, that are primarily And none-the-less causing MINE COUNTER- designed to explode. Mines, bombs, booby at least a momentary spike MEASURES traps – call them what you will – objects in adrenaline as probing with enough destructive power to blow fi ngers found them in the catastrophic holes in the plating of modern dark loneliness of up to 20 metres battleships. And the clearance diver’s job is of -affected, turbid water. to fi nd these objects in water so dark and There was also a time limit on how long murky that they can’t see their own hands. the AUSCDT3 members could work at So how do they fi nd what they seek? Umm Qasr, as huge tidal differences caused Fingers, probing the gloom, seeking out dangerous currents to sweep through the unexploded devices by touch! port. Tidal streams could get as strong as seen a thing or three beyond There are modern and other 5 knots according to Sub Lieutenant Jace LieutenantLLieeut Commander Steve Bliss, the farm gate. detection devices available, of course, but Hutchison, Maritime Tactical Operations “ MUST RELY Commanding Offi cer AUSCDT4, says that “Now, as a Leading Seaman, I’m the link using these in the confi nes and clutter of Element Offi cer, normally based in Western ON THE SENSITIVITY OF once a suitable applicant is found, he will between the senior sailors and the junior a modern port facility is next to useless. So Australia with AUSCDT4. HIS FINGERTIPS TO FIND undergo a Clearance Diver Acceptance Test level. The seniors tell me what needs to be the diver must rely on the sensitivity of his “With water running that strong on the UNEXPLODED BOMBS BY – a two-week program on the shores of done and I work with my team of juniors own fi ngertips to fi nd unexploded bombs changing there were only two or HMAS Penguin in Sydney, home of the RAN to get that job done. And that can be literally by bumping into them in the dark. three windows of between 20 minutes to BUMPING INTO THEM IN Diving School. challenging – keeping both sides happy.” Did they fi nd anything in Umm Qasr? an hour a day where we could enter the THE DARK” “This is a very condensed period. It He says he has been in the Navy for 10 You bet. Among hundreds of other things water to get the job done,” he says. is very demanding both physically and years and one week – 10 really good years. tagged, mapped and dealt with, was “At the time, we also had a really strong mentally,” he says. “My posting to Cairns was probably the BATTLE-DAMAGE a sunken mine-laying boat complete push from both the Australian and US “There was us, the British and the US “If they pass that, they then go on to the highlight so far. We actually got to do a lot REPAIR with a full load of modern anti-shipping governments to open up the port as quickly counter-mine teams all living together Clearance Diver Course.” of work with live ordnance up there. mines, each having to be as possible, at the same time keeping the in one of the warehouses with not much This course is run over 34 weeks and the “There are still a lot of WWII mines infrastructure intact and to provide the more than our own sleeping bags and so demands placed on potential applicants out around the , so we got lots of humanitarian support to the people of Iraq. on, and eating ration packs the whole time. are probably not seen anywhere else in the hands-on experience with the real thing “So there certainly were deadlines “But it was a terrifi c experience. I’m really ADF outside of Special Forces. – opportunities you probably wouldn’t to meet.” enjoying this job so far and I can’t see any Leading Seaman Ashe Konig who grew experience on a posting to Sydney or Perth. Australian clearance divers don’t reason why I’d want to give it away.” up on a dairy farm in Milanda, near Cairns, “It was a real thrill to work on those just clear mines, however, and in fact, Navy Clearance Divers are the Australian says he didn’t do any diving before joining things – things I used to read about as a kid. are not always employed as divers. Defence Forces’ specialist divers whose the Navy but was a keen swimmer and “Most of it was old British stuff – old There were 34 Australians attached primary focus, as discussed, is the detection loved the outdoors, and so saw clearance contact mines. They look scary and were to AUSCDT3 in Umm Qasr, under US and disposal of ordnance. This diving as a very attractive prospect. actually a bit scary to work on, but some of command, working closely with their role is conducted at sea in ships, in the “I was actually on the fi rst Clearance them were in remarkably good condition American and British counterparts. approaches to ports and anchorages and Diver Acceptance Course, as it’s known considering how long they’ve been When not in the water fulfi lling their core on land in port facilities and the littoral today, back in 1995. fl oating around out there.” tasking, they performed a similar function environment associated with amphibious “It was very challenging and they Clearance diving as we know it MARITIME on dry land – clearing the wharves and operations. The clearance diving fraternity actually made a lot of changes after our today owes much of its heritage to a TACTICAL OPS port facilities of explosive ordnance. They is, in fact, the largest single ADF element course because we had a lot of blokes go concept developed mainly were also responsible for their own security with a direct and primary interest in EOD down [eliminated] on the course. during WWII that saw teams, known as P in the port. (explosive ordnance disposal). “I was only 17 at the time and it was Parties (Pilotage Parties), responsible for “Facilities for the team were nothing All personnel wishing to join this certainly very different to anything else I clandestine reconnaissance and obstacle special. We were in the fi eld the whole elite fraternity, including offi cers, must had done in my life – it was very diffi cult.” clearance in the maritime environment. time, providing our own protection,” Sub undergo rigorous acceptance testing and But in the intervening 10 years, the Since its inception in 1951, the Royal Lieutenant Hutchison says. psychological evaluation. young lad from country Queensland has Australian Navy Clearance Diving Branch

SPECIAL munitions in ships, on land and HUON CLASS MINE CD TEAMS b. Mine Counter Measures. maintenance and repair of SUPPORT ROLES underwater: also includes the HUNTER COASTAL (MHC) a. Maritime Tactical Focuses on the location, ships’ underwater fi ttings, RAN Diving School in support DIVERS demolition of maritime assets. Mine Counter Measures. Operations. Duties include identifi cation, rendering safe harbour installations and of training operations as well Clearance Divers undertake Activities include diving using diving on pure and and disposal of underwater underwater ranges. Trains as various admin positions Clearance Divers (CDs) are all tasks to a self-contained, mixed-gas mixed-gas equipment. Trains ordnance in areas where in skills such as underwater throughout the Navy. the ADF’s specialist divers. depth of 54 metres, however equipment for mine counter in small arms, escape and conventional mine-hunting welding, salvage techniques During all postings TAG (EAST) WATER CD tasks include but are not initiatives are underway to measures tasks, identifi cation evasion, combat survival and methods are not feasible. and non-destructive testing. the Clearance Diver will OPERATOR limited to the rendering safe conduct diving to 90 metres. and disposal of sea mines. insertion techniques, including c. Underwater Battle Damage MAJOR FLEET UNITS be required to carry out and disposal of all ordnance, During his career, a CD SCUBA (air) is used for parachuting. Tasks include Repair. Diving on air Service in major warships seamanship and ships’ including missiles, artillery will be rotated through the underwater maintenance and amphibious operations and equipment, both self-contained conducting diving, demolitions husbandry duties in addition to projectiles and air-delivered following operational areas: . ordnance disposal. and surface-supplied, for the and seamanship duties. diving-related duties.

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has used contemporary to its full capacity and, indeed, has been a forerunner in the development of new technologies in sub-aqua exploration and exploitation. After 25 years, Lieutenant Commander Bliss has seen many changes in technology. “Wet suits and breathing equipment are two areas we’ve seen a lot of changes in over the years,” he says. “I recall the all-purpose set we used to use and it certainly looks an antiquated piece of kitt now when you compare it with today’s standards. “We had incidents with the all-purpose sets where divers wouldoulu d bee cooperativelyccooop with their foreign “LIKE SO MANY OTHER breathing basically a mixture of airi and counterparts, on operations and exercise. AUSTRALIAN MILITARY salt water, because the demand valves Recent activity in the Gulf is testament UNITS, THEIR REAL weren’t nearly as good as they are today. not only to their interoperability with STRENGTH COMES “There were instances where you’d be coalition forces, but proof of the high breathing in bits of glue used in fi xing regard in which they are held within the FROM THE DIVERSITY exhaust ports and so on, where you’d get international diving community. OF SKILLS DEVELOPED” a little fl ake of glue caught in the back Lieutenant Commander Bliss says CDs of your throat and you’d be choking and train regularly with their international coughing at God knows what depth. counterparts. other allies can’t do and we are well “Today’s equipment is certainly far “Team 1 recently participated in ahead of the game in that respect. more advanced and, in fact, Australia is RIMPAC around the Hawaiian islands. “In the US, individual sections tend at the forefront when it comes to mixed They are also conducting exercises with to focus on special roles whereas we and closed-circuit breathing apparatus the Malaysians and Singaporeans. are pretty much Jack of all trades – and development.” “And we’ve just fi nished Exercise masters of a few of them. We are able to Another, perhaps surprising, Dugong in Jervis Bay with the Americans. perform at a level in many different tasks technological development is on the “This is all building up to our major and roles that would require fi ve or six or horizon for our CDs when, in the very exercise next year – Exercise Talisman even seven American units to fulfi l.” near future, they will take personal Sabre – where Australia will host about He says CDs are often described as computers under water with them. A 25,000 personnel in Shoalwater Bay.” “special forces” in the military sense or mine countermeasures underwater He says he truly believes that the Royal mistaken for Navy SEALS. computer system, to be introduced soon, Australian Navy clearance divers are well “We are neither. We are Royal Australian will provide clearance divers with an advanced as far as search techniques and Navy Clearance Divers. electronic means to navigate in open capabilities are concerned. “True, there has been a lot of redefi ning water, conduct searches of inshore waters But like so many other Australian in certain areas and we are all evolving and log various data elements in real military units, their real strength and and moving to counter the terrorist time along the way. value comes from the diversity of skills threat since 9/11. Far from being secretive or miserly developed within a small fraternity. “Our role may change and we’ll just about their equipment and procedures, “We are a composite unit, able to have to wait for guidance on that. But however, AUSCDTs work closely and perform myriad tasks that our US and whatever is required, Navy clearance divers will be there to meet the task.”

TOUGH ENOUGH? Course Run Push ups Sit Ups Chin Ups Swim/fi n BASIC FITNESS TESTS FOR ROYAL 2.4Kms 2 sec 3 sec 3 sec 500m wearing AUSTRALIAN NAVY DIVERS COURSES cadence cadence cadence overalls Scuba Air Diver 12 Min 30 60 6 14.30 Min Scuba Air Supervisor 12 Min 30 60 6 14.30 Min Clearance Diving Selection 10.15 Min 30 60 10 13.00 Min Clearance Diving Course 9.00 Min 50 120 18 9.15 Min

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