Garda team observes Europol's simulated counter-terrorism naval exercise 

The exercise, codenamed ‘Trident’, was carried out in the Stockholm archipelago and was part of the Atlas network. Picture: Europol

The Garda Emergency Response Unit observed a week-long simulated counter-terrorism naval exercise organised by Sweden and the EU police agency Europol.

Ten member states took part in the various exercises, and three states — including Ireland — were there as observers.

The exercise, codenamed ‘Trident’, was carried out in the Stockholm archipelago and was part of the Atlas network, which consists of member states’ special intervention units and their role in maintaining 24/7 readiness to respond to crisis situations affecting European security.

“The exercise scenario focused on the deployment of special intervention units and naval assets during day- and night-time, simulating terrorist and hostage incidents on board of cruise liners and ferries,” Europol said in a statement.

“Day after day, the participants faced new challenges on the water and on some of the archipelago’s many islands, slowly preparing them for the final exercise under real-life conditions. The attending units brought along their equipment, such as speed boats, sniper rifles, combat diving gear, and helicopters.” 

It said the exercise was supported with helicopters and naval vessels provided by various Swedish authorities.

The countries and police special intervention units taking active part were: Belgium (DSU); Estonia (K-Komando); Finland (KARHU), Germand (GSG9), Iceland (VIKING), Latvia (OMEGA), Lithuania (ARAS), Netherlands (DSI), Norway (DELTA), and Sweden (NI).

The observer equivalents were Ireland (ERU), Austria (EKO Cobra), and Denmark (AKS).

It is not clear why the ERU did not take an active part in the exercises.

More than 200 officers across the 10 special intervention units engaged in the various operations, which were coordinated by Europol’s Counter-Terrorism Centre and Swedish units.

“Teams paired up with colleagues from neighbouring countries, challenging them to work using a common language and allowing them to exchange experience on tactics and equipment, the Europol statement said. 

“Atlas exercises, such as Trident, are invaluable for building trust and exchanging experiences, which ultimately enables special intervention units to enhance tactical skills and technical capabilities.” 

Europol said the exercise was supported with helicopters and naval vessels provided by various Swedish authorities. Picture: Europol

The statement said the final exercise presented a complicated scenario: “This Trident naval exercise culminated in a large-scale scenario across the archipelago with teams facing several challenges at once.

“The operational challenges included intercepting a ship transporting weapons for a terrorist cell, as well as securing terrorist-controlled locations with hostages, including some requiring first-response medical attention. This multi-threat scenario tested the participants’ response agility and adaptability throughout the exercise.” 

Meanwhile, in a separate EU programme, the Irish Naval Service took part in a two-week exercise in Spain.

Irish navy divers were involved in a harbour protection exercise in Cartagena, hosted by the Spanish navy and the EU Defence Agency.

The Naval Service said over two weeks, teams trained to counter maritime IED (improvised explosive devices) threats and boost European readiness.