Australian Navy Assists With Underwater WWII UXO Cleanup

Solomons Islands The Australian Navy supporting "Operation Render Safe" utilized two of its mine hunting ships to scan and recover underwater UXO off the island of Malaita and in Shortland Harbour off Shortland Island. The source of the UXO was the fierce fighting that occurred between Japanese and Allied forces during WWII.

Using data from a previously conducted survey, 15 targets were identified and investigated by a Royal Australian Navy dive team. The UXO discovered and subsequently disposed of included artillery projectiles and a British MK IV sea mine. Other than the sea mine, the specific types of UXO recovered have not been reported. The operation provided an excellent training opportunity for the Australian military including the Navy EOD Dive teams participating while clearing explosive hazards from the area.