BALEX DELTA 2018 (BD 18) was the most complex exercise ever carried out within the HELCOM framework. Not only did it include exercises both at sea and on the shore, and an EU Civil Protection Team. It also involved the handling of hazardous and noxious substances, including chemical diving and diving at sea for chemical containers, at sea lightering, and at sea night time operations. The exercise lasted for 36 hours, which is about five times longer than any previous HELCOM full-scale exercise. As a separate element, the exercise included a pre-exercise in April, which was an opportunity for the Contracting Parties to test and develop their national procedures for identifying, and offering relevant resources for operations at sea as well as on the shore.