Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jackson Adkins | KEFLAVÍK, Iceland — (Sept. 10, 2025) U.S. Navy explosive ordnance disposal...... read more read more
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KEFLAVÍK, Iceland - U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians worked in tandem with 17 Allied nations during Northern Challenge 2025, a multinational counter-IED exercise from Sept. 9-18 across multiple training sites in Iceland.
Hosted by the Icelandic Coast Guard, Northern Challenge (NOCH) is NATO’s premier exercise for countering improvised explosive devices and strengthening interoperability between Allied forces. The exercise brings together more than 500 participants from Europe and North America focusing on realistic, complex scenarios including vehicle-borne IEDs, remote-detonated devices, and post-blast analysis.
“This is the highest level of multinational EOD training available, and it allows us to work out the friction points before we face a real-world mission,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Bianchi, a senior EOD officer. “Exercises like Northern Challenge strengthen our ability to deter aggression, respond decisively, and defend shared security interests with our Allies.”
During the exercise, U.S. Navy EOD teams employed advanced tools including the Man Transportable PackBot System, bomb suits, digital x-ray systems, and remotely operated aerial drones to locate, identify, and neutralize explosive threats. The scenarios replicate real-world environments, forcing teams to integrate intelligence exploitation, technical procedures, and rapid decision-making under operationally relevant timelines.
Participants emphasized that Northern Challenge is about more than just technology - it’s about people and trust.
“By exchanging tactics, techniques, and procedures with our partners, we ensure readiness and lethality across the Allied force,” said Explosive Ordnance Disposal Senior Chief Jake Ferguson. “Together, we sharpen our skills and tackle complex challenges so that when the mission comes, we can rely on each other to protect personnel and assets - and decisively eliminate enemy threats.”
Northern Challenge has been held annually in Iceland since 2004 and has grown in scale and complexity over two decades. The exercise remains a critical venue for NATO and partner forces to validate tactics, techniques and procedures, strengthen combined readiness, and demonstrate a united commitment to security in the North Atlantic region.
For more information, visit https://www.necc.usff.navy.mil/eod/
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2025 13:24 |
| Story ID: | 548300 |
| Location: | KEFLAVÍK, IS |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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