Courtesy Photo | 2011 SNMMCG2 Units splitting on completion of maneuvering exercises in Northern Red Sea.... read more read more
MEDITERRANEAN SEA, At Sea - After completing transit through Suez Canal the Standing NATO Maritime Mine Counter-measures Group 2 is back in the Mediterranean Sea headed for Aksaz Turkey, last port in the schedule of Operation INAS BAHR.
The overall purpose of this deployment was to promote practical military cooperation with the countries of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative while demonstrating the ability of the Force to operate for extended periods at strategic distance in demanding geographical and climatic environments.
Following the three-month deployment SNMCMG2 Commander Capt. Pelekanakis said, “We are very proud of the results we’ve achieved during this Operation. It has been a great opportunity to foster relationships and reinforce the mutual knowledge with ICI signatories, and on the other hand our crews gained a better understanding of the culture of other countries and conducted professional exchanges with the host-nation military. But our work is not over: I now plan to exploit all the experience which has been gained right up until the end of my tour (July 7) by participating in various planned exercises and conducting visits in the Mediterranean Sea”.
Within the framework of INAS BAHR Operation SNMCMG2 conducted port visits and selected military exercises in three ICI countries: Manamah in Bahrain, Kuwait City and Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. Within the wider context of the deployment logistic port visits were made in Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and Oman.
During the last three months the Force spent 51 days at sea covering a total distance of 8000 Nautical Miles around the Arabian Peninsula. Five ships carried a total of 65 Officers and 320 Crewmembers. The Group conducted training and exercises with the navies of France, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
All this effort contributed for a better understanding of NATO and for further developing relationships with civil and military authorities of visited Countries, thus achieving interoperability with respective Navies.
After Aksaz port visits, where some of participant Units will leave the Force to be relieved by new Units, the Force will continue with the standard program of port visits and participation in exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.
SNMCMG2 currently comprises:
•HS Spetsai, Frigate -Greece (Flagship)
•FGS Herten, Mine hunter - Germany
•HS Kallisto, Mine hunter - Greece
•ITS Viareggio, Mine hunter - Italy
•ESPS Tajo, Mine hunter - Spain
Information about the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative is available at web page http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_58787.htm
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_21017.htm
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2011 10:11 |
| Story ID: | 69977 |
| Location: | IT |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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