Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre Of Excellence

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Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre Of Excellence

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Welcome to NATO Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre Of Excellence official page.

21/07/2026

Farewell to Warrant Officer (WO) Gábor KOROM

We bid farewell to WO Gábor KOROM (HUN-A), who has been a member of the EOD COE team since July 2022. Four years is a long time, especially in military service, where days are measured not in hours, but in shared challenges, successes, and mutual reliance. The EOD COE community gathered to say goodbye to a brother-in-arms who has not only been a pillar of our community for the past four years but has truly brought the future into our midst through his work at the Technology Branch of the NATO EOD COE. When we started working together, VR-based training seemed more like a distant vision. However, with his expertise and perseverance, he shaped this system into a tangible reality.
At the same time, we won't just miss Gábor in front of the monitors or in the office. His cheerful and outgoing personality brought so many memorable moments to all of us during our social event and sports activities.
Thank him for his professionalism and the comradely spirit that characterized your work every single day. EOD COE Director has awarded Master Sergeant Korom with the Commemorative Medal of the EOD COE for his 4 years of excellent service.
We wish him great success, good health, and the best of military fortune in your new assignment.

At the event, we welcomed WO Zoltán Ferkó, who succeeded WO Korom and, following the handover, began his service at the Technology Department.

Photo by: Jaroslav Lacko

07/07/2026

We kicked off this summer in the best possible way—with another successful and truly enjoyable Home-Made Explosives Course – Advanced (HMEC-A) in Slovakia, welcoming 31 EOD professionals from 17 NATO and partner nations.
(POL, ROU, USA, SVK, CZE, HUN, ESP, GRC, BEL, LUX, FRA, NLD, DNK, ITA, CAN, LV and LTU)
Just like any well-made charge, HMEC-A is dense, focused, and designed for maximum effect. Its blend of theory, practical scenarios, and hands-on training creates an intensive environment where knowledge, experience, and professional connections grow side by side.
The key precursor to HMEC-A's success is simple: the unique mixture of long-standing partnerships, exceptional Subject Matter Experts, real-world operational experience. Together, these ingredients keep the course current, relevant, and firmly rooted in operational practice, making HMEC-A a benchmark for excellence in HME education.
Congratulations to all our graduates! Your trust, enthusiasm, and positive feedback inspire us to keep raising the bar. We are proud to have been part of your journey and look forward to crossing paths again in the EOD world.
…
Think you've got what it takes? Join HMEC-A and be part of the HME standard of excellence.

-A

24/06/2026

State Secretary Visit to the Homemade Explosives Course - Advanced
On 23 June 2026, the NATO EOD Centre of Excellence hosted a Slovak MOD delegation led by 2nd State Secretary Mr. Martin Vojtasovic.
Director COL Frantisek Mihalovic and LTC Alexander Hugyar, PhD, briefed the delegation on the Centre’s mission, training deliverables, and vital contributions to NATO's collective defence and readiness.
The delegation also visited the Training Centre Lest to observe the Home-Made Explosives Course Advanced. State Secretary Mr. Vojtasovic praised the complex, expert-led training environment. The NATO EOD COE extends its gratitude to the Slovak Republic for its continued investment and support as the framework nation.
For more details, see the full version of the article via link

https://www.eodcoe.org/en/news/state-secretary-visit-homemade-explosives-course-advanced.html.

Author: LTC Alexander HUGYAR, PhD.
Photo: MAJ Jiri Zejdlik

22/06/2026

Participation in the C-IED Annual Conference 2026 in Valencia
From 15 to 19 June 2026 representative of NATO EOD COE, LTC Witold PLEZIA, took part in the C-IED Annual Conference 2026, organized by the Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED COE) in Valencia, Spain. The event brought together experts from armed forces, security services, international organizations, academia, and industry from NATO and NATO’s partnership nations.
This year's conference, held under the theme " The Evolution of Counter-IED Operations, Battlefield Evidence, and Technical Exploitation", focused on current challenges related to countering improvised explosive device (IED) threats, the development of Technical Exploitation (TE) capabilities, information sharing, operational lessons learned, and innovative solutions supporting C-IED activities.
Participation in the conference provided a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the latest trends, exchange experiences with international experts, and establish and strengthen cooperation with representatives of institutions and organizations involved in the development of C-IED capabilities. The knowledge and experience gained during the event will contribute to the further enhancement of national capabilities and interoperability within the international environment.
The conference in Valencia was one of the key international C-IED community events in 2026, serving as an important platform for knowledge exchange and the development of common approaches to addressing evolving threats.

03/06/2026

Celebrating 15 Years of Excellence!

Today, the NATO Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre of Excellence (NATO EOD COE) marks a significant milestone – the 15th anniversary of its official NATO accreditation!
To celebrate a decade and a half of dedication, innovation, and international cooperation, a special ceremony was held at the Garrison Club in Trenčín.
The Director of the NATO EOD COE, Colonel František Mihalovič, opened the event by warmly welcoming distinguished guests, partners, and colleagues. In his address, he highlighted the history and journey of the Centre since its accreditation in 2011 up to the present day, emphasizing the crucial and continuous support of the Slovak Republic as the Framework Nation and the founding Sponsoring Nations.
As a token of appreciation and respect for their leadership, dedication, and continuous support, Colonel Mihalovič presented commemorative coins to the former Directors of the Centre, recognizing their immense contribution to its establishment and development: COL (ret.) Gabriel MERŇÁK, COL (ret.) Roman LACKOVIČ, COL (ret.) Ľubomír MRVÁŇ, and COL Róbert CSÁSZÁR.
A commemorative coin was also presented to Mr. Martin ČATLOŠ, Director General of the Modernisation Department of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic and National Armaments Director, for his continuous support.
The entire ceremony carried a strong message of gratitude. After all, behind every successful mission, training program, and technological advancement of the past 15 years are the people. A huge thank you goes to all past and present personnel for their hard work, commitment, and loyalty to the EOD community.
Together, we continue to make the world a safer place!

29/05/2026

Farewell, LtC Blake Carlton ZENTENO

It’s time to say goodbye to our favorite Deputy Director, LtC Blake Carlton ZENTENO (USA), who is wrapping up his mission at the EOD COE and heading to his next assignment. To say we will miss him is an understatement!

Beyond his hard work and dedication, LtC Blake Carlton ZENTENO won all our hearts with his incredibly warm, human, and friendly approach. He always had time for a good laugh, a supportive word, and a genuine chat with anyone in the hallways. He didn't just lead the team—he became a true friend to all of us and made our Centre feel like a family.

Thank you, LtC Blake Carlton ZENTENO, for your leadership, your kindness, and the great energy you brought into our lives every single day. Working alongside you has been an absolute joy.

Best of luck in your next duty station! We hope our paths cross again soon.

25/05/2026

The 11th EOD Workshop 2026

The NATO EOD COE successfully conducted the 11th EOD Workshop 2026 on 19-20 May 2026 in Šamorín, Slovakia, bringing together EOD experts, practitioners, industry representatives, and partner organizations from sixteen NATO and five IPC nations.

Held under the motto “Advancing in EOD through Unity and Innovation,” the workshop focused on current and future EOD challenges, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, robotics, digitalization, and multinational cooperation.

The programme included presentations and discussions on AI-supported threat recognition, autonomous and robotic systems, operational lessons learned, and future EOD capability development. Table displays and practical demonstrations of advanced robotic capabilities further complemented the event.

The workshop once again confirmed the importance of innovation, interoperability, and international cooperation in strengthening future EOD capabilities.
Photo by Jaroslav Lacko

21/05/2026

INMEP 2026: Where Military History Meets Modern EOD Challenges

Because we normally attend formal high-end NATO events, going to INMEP 2026 was a nice change. Hosted in Olšina resort in the countryside it had that special magic of remote places. But back to the topic. INMEP is an international ammunition technicians conference organize by Czechoslovak Legionaries organization. This four-day event covered everything from Austro-Hungarian cannon fuses, police department studies up to recent updates on RUS-UKR war TTPs. We have also usurped our place in the conference and presented on the NATO EOD COE and our recent success and projects. If you are and EOD military or civilian, you look for a place where to gather knowledge, network and relax INMEP is place for you. If you want to learn more see> https://inmep.cz/ Stay tuned for more updates. If you like us follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

08/05/2026

Shaping NATO Standards

The NATO EOD COE which acts as a custodian for NATO EOD capstone doctrine hosted the AJP-3.18 Data fusion workshop. Experts from ACT, EOD COE, , DEU, NOR and SWE provided their expertise to form new structure, preface, linkages and adjudicated 224 comments provided by the NATO nations and NATO bodies. As this might seems as tedious process, it wasn’t. Quite the opposite. Comments that were provided formed a baseline for valuable discussions and inputs for the next development of AJP-3.18. We as the NATO EOD COE would like to express our thanks to all participants and people from the COE that helped to host this event.
See you at the 1st AJP-3.18 writing session.

07/05/2026

Completed delivery of the 02-26 NATO EOD Staff Officer Training

From 20 APR to 30 APR 2026, the NATO Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Staff Officer Training Course was successfully held in Wroclaw, Poland. The course was conducted under the auspices of the NATO EOD Centre of Excellence as part of its official Programme of Work, addressing current operational demands.
The training was delivered by the Education and Training Department in cooperation with the Transformation Support Department and was specifically adapted to meet the needs of NATO multinational participants. In total, 18 participants from 13 nations attended the course, all of whom successfully met the training objectives and graduated.
The course is designed to prepare non-EOD-qualified staff officers by providing them with a fundamental level of professional competence in line with NATO standards, while also integrating relevant United Nations principles related to explosive ordnance threat mitigation. Upon completion, graduates are capable of planning, preparing, commanding, controlling, and coordinating EOD operations within multinational battalion - and brigade - level command structures.

More you can read on: https://www.eodcoe.org/en/news/completed-delivery-02-26-nato-eod-staff-officer-training.html

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