Five NATO ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) are participating in the annual Romanian-led naval exercise Sea Shield in the Black Sea this month.
This year, more than 20 ships and crews from Romania, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey are working with Maritime Patrol Aircraft from the US and Turkey to conduct the exercise designed to practice joint warfare tactics and techniques used against underwater, surface and air threats.
In a news release, NATO say that the Romanian Air Force is also providing MIG 21 LanceR and F-16 air defence threats specialised units including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers, the 243 Radioelectronics and Observation Brigade, the Marine Hydrographic Directorate, the Center 110 Communications and Information Technology, the Center for Information Technology and Cybernetics are providing specific support from the shore.
“Sea Shield is an excellent exercise for the Standing NATO Maritime Group,” said SNMG2 Commander, Commodore Boudewijn Boots.
“It offers the opportunity to work together with NATO Allies that border the Black Sea to ensure interoperability and readiness.”
SNMG2 currently consists of flagship Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Evertsen, Bulgarian Navy frigate BGS Drazki, Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Toronto, Romanian Naval Forces frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand and Turkish Navy frigate TCG Yildirim.
SNMG2 is conducting a routine patrol in the Black Sea as part of their annual schedule of operations. While in the Black Sea, the group has conducted port visits in Odesa, Ukraine, Poti, Georgia and Constanta, Romania.
Nice to see HMS Coventry still going strong – aka – ROS Regele Ferdinand. I know little about the capabilities of these ships but judging by Wiki it seems the Dutch and Canadian frigates are very useful.
Good to see NATO deploying a decent force without the need for the USN or RN.
It’s crazy how the type 22s cost more than the type 42 destroyers. And Romania seems to like old British warships just like Chile and Brazil… I’m glad ex HMS Coventry’s the Romanian flagship.
The 22’s were very capable for their time Cam. The batch 3’s more so.
Yeah they sure were, shame two were used as target practice and the rest that weren’t sold scrapped….
Cosmopolitan or what? How many of those navies would have any influence without NATO? That’s why the alliance needs to keep together regardless of what other members plan to do.
Influence through collective scale…. Solid concept