The Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) met with the commanders of three different Allied carrier strike groups (CSG) aboard U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) on November 23 for senior-level maritime discussions.
NATO say here that Commander, SNMG2 U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Scott Sciretta met with U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Dennis Velez, commander, George H.W. Bush CSG (CSG-10); Italian Navy Rear Admiral Vincenzo Montanaro, commander, Italian Maritime Forces and the Italian Carrier Strike Group aboard ITS Cavour (C-550); and French Navy Rear Admiral Christophe Cluzel, commander, French Navy CSG aboard FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91).
“The meeting was a unique opportunity for the commanders to share best practices, discuss strategy and plans in the framework of ‘deterrence and defence’. The meeting also reflected the level of focus and priority from NATO and Allied nations on the Euro-Atlantic Area.”
Sharing information is critical to building a comprehensive picture of maritime operations across the Alliance, say NATO here.
“Meeting with my fellow maritime commanders to discuss operations and to exploit diversity of thought is powerful,” Sciretta said.
“Interoperability of thought enhances our integration as NATO Allies and allows us to deliver the robust operational effects we need in the maritime domain to deter our adversaries and defend the Alliance. Interoperability starts with trust. The trust the four of us commanders share is built on long standing relationships. These relationships underpin our ability to interoperate and interchange forces throughout the theatre.”
“Opportunities for interoperability between forces and CSGs are a testament to the strength of our Alliance,” Montanaro said.
“Currently, we have Italian frigates embedded with both the George H.W. Bush and French strike groups participating alongside our Allies in their daily operations, and last month the Italian Navy fully integrated NATO’s Standing Naval Forces Group Two units into our major bi-annual fleet exercise Mare Aperto 22-2.”
A pity that the RN was not invited as they operate the second best carriers in NATO.
We probably already knew what was going to be said.
There are many who use the ‘carriers with no aircraft’ thing to shout about. I’m not one, but we are severely short of them. We can only make a flight deck look busy when the USMC come aboard. There must be plenty of room for volleyball in our hangers.
I am sure that most mature and informed people realise that the UK carrier programme (a UK national programme) was not and could not run perfectly in synch with a multinational (but US-led) programme (F-35B). Of course one was going to be ahead of the other. That’s life. It should not be some very silly and immature ammunition for pessimists and ‘humourists’. If our carrier aircraft had been a national programme, then criticism/satire/humour might be justified.
Agree Graham, as long as the drum beat of F35Bs purchase and delivery into service continues that is one of the most important aspects of delivering a sovereign carrier strike capability. The confirmation of a purchase of an additional 26 aircraft was warmly received. Taking the number in service up to 75 f35Bs by the 2030 timeframe. I think this is really important as the Chinese threat is forecast to really be coming into stark focus by that time. I’d hope that additional elements of carrier strike such as the fitting of advanced Uk weaponry onto the F35B and new… Read more »
Agreed. I am rather more worried about my former Service, the Army, to be in a position to do warfighting with modern, networked equipment at divisional strength.
Completely agree. There are lots of stupid politically driven decisions forced on the RN which it is perfectly valid to criticise but the shortage of aircraft isn’t one of them. The UK government can’t set the development and production timescales of a US aircraft manufacturer.
That depends in what is delaying the aircraft being op.
That’s a fair point mate. Things like the shortage of pilots is less forgivable.
I’m also firmly of the view that all F35’s should belong to the Fleet Air Arm. The priority for these aircraft should be on the deck of a carrier which can take them anywhere they’re needed in the world and not sat in a hangar in Norfolk