Clearance divers, a globally recognized specialized unit

This anniversary was the opportunity to retrace the history of the GPD Méditerranée, its systems, and its operations, as well as to honor the clearance divers and sailors who served in it. The celebration was marked by the gathering of clearance divers, associations, sailors, and partners from the world of human diving, mine warfare, and seabed control around a historical recollection of the GPD, these men, and their expertise. The ceremony was also an opportunity to perform a dynamic demonstration and a presentation of the systems and equipment.

On the ground, the GPD Méditerranée is one of the three clearance diver groups of the Marine nationale. As a specialized unit, clearance divers carry out explosive ordnance disposal missions and underwater interventions (mine warfare, coastal and port access protection, underwater works). They operate on national territory as well as in external operations, on land, at sea, and under the sea, from Marine nationale vessels or from the land.

On a daily basis, they guarantee the protection of the territory by maintaining permanent alerts to intervene on all types of explosive devices, both conventional and improvised. They can be involved in public service missions during rescue operations, environmental protection, or underwater searches. Within the framework of State action at sea, they neutralize more than 11 tons of historical ammunition per year.

Essential elements for aeromaritime combat operations, they are easily deployable and intervene in external theaters for mine warfare, port clearance actions, as well as the protection of combat vessels.

In mine warfare, the GPD act in complementarity with other mine countermeasure assets (tripartite minehunters, sonar towing vessels, and, within the framework of the future mine countermeasure system (SLAM-F), mine countermeasure modules). As references in the field of underwater clearance, their specific resources allow them to operate down to a depth of 80 meters.