Havariekommando maritime emergency drills

The Havariekommando has conducted a series of large-scale maritime emergency drills in Germany to test various disaster response scenarios.

On October 16, 2026, the ‘Wattsturm 2026’ exercise took place along the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea coast near Norden. This drill simulated a collision between two cargo ships that resulted in hazardous materials being lost overboard. More than 100 personnel practiced recovering dangerous goods from tidal flats using specialized equipment, such as chemical protection suits and all-terrain tracked vehicles. Exercise leader Sebastian Kroll noted that the unique conditions of the tidal flats present specific challenges for identifying and managing risks compared to land-based operations.

On October 18, 2026, the Havariekommando partnered with TUI Cruises for a medical emergency drill aboard the MEIN SCHIFF 3 in Bremerhaven. This exercise involved approximately 50 responders and focused on the coordination between ship crews, police, and fire departments when managing a high volume of injured persons. The training included specialized fire units from Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven, as well as maritime psychosocial emergency care provided by experts from the Deutsche Seemannsmission.