Polish Navy Divers complete intensive winter under-ice training

The exercise brought together several dozen clearance divers and underwater engineering specialists from the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla and the 3rd Ship Flotilla, reinforcing interoperability across operational and shore-based units.

Overhead and under-ice diving in operational context

The core of the training focused on overhead diving, including under-ice operations — one of the most demanding forms of military diving. In overhead environments, divers have no direct vertical access to the surface due to physical barriers such as ice cover, wreck structures or confined spaces.

Under-ice diving requires:

• precise pre-dive planning and risk assessment,
• secure cutting and preparation of ice entry points,
• redundant safety and communication systems,
• strict adherence to emergency and self-rescue procedures,
• coordinated topside support and logistics.

Operating beneath a 40-centimetre ice sheet significantly increases psychological and operational pressure. As instructors underline, maintaining composure, mutual trust and procedural discipline is critical when direct ascent to the surface is impossible.

Mine countermeasure and underwater engineering skills

Beyond technical diving proficiency, the winter camp emphasised mine countermeasure (MCM) and underwater engineering capabilities. Divers conducted:

• sonar-assisted searches for submerged objects,
• identification and classification of potentially hazardous items,
• rigging (stropping) and preparation of objects for recovery,
• operations with hydraulic and specialist underwater tools in limited visibility.

These competencies directly translate into real-world explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and clearance operations carried out throughout the year. Clearance diver groups from the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla respond to dozens of underwater ordnance reports annually, both in the Baltic Sea and inland waters.

Sustaining year-round readiness

Within the Polish Navy structure, clearance diver groups operate in the 12th and 13th Minesweeper Squadrons of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla. In addition, underwater engineering specialists serve in naval shore units, including the 8th Sapper Battalion and the 43rd Sapper Battalion.

The winter training cycle forms part of a broader readiness framework aimed at sustaining operational capability in all environmental conditions. With legacy munitions and unexploded ordnance still present in Baltic and inland waters, maintaining high-level diving, EOD and engineering proficiency remains a strategic priority.

The Lake Czos exercise confirms that Polish Navy divers retain the capacity to conduct complex underwater operations year-round — including in sub-zero, ice-covered environments where technical competence and mental resilience are equally decisive.