Royal Australian Navy clearance divers found themselves in the middle of a simulated mine warfare training exercise where they had the chance to put their skills to the test.

And they were not alone, joined by divers from the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and the US Navy (USN).

Operation Dugong, a two-week fleet training exercise run by the RAN’s clearance diving and mine countenance task group, began on Monday last week.

Commander of the mine warfare and clearance diving task group, Commander Dean Schopen said HMA ships Gascoyne and Diamantina, along with clearance diving teams one and four, were taking part in the annual activity.

“There is a footprint of approximately 165 people here from October 20 to 31,” CMDR Schopen said.

Warrant Officer Matt Hurley, of clearance diving team one from Perth, said the exercise gave divers the chance to use equipment like the 100 per cent oxygen re-breather.

The device does not release a single bubble and allows the divers to survey the beach covertly under the cover of darkness “so the amphibious force can land”.

“Divers can stay under water for up to 120 minutes in shallow water up to 10 metres,” he said.

Some of the divers at HMAS Creswell this week, such as Seaman Arthur McLachlan, appeared on the ABC documentary Navy Divers that aired last night.

Four sailors from the RNZN were also invited to take part, he said, bringing with them two autonomous underwater vehicles called Remus, fitted with side-scan sonar.

The devices identify obstacles in very shallow water and transmit information back to the ship they were launched from.

Also participating were explosive ordnance disposal personnel from the US Navy who used similar equipment to the RAN clearance divers.