Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 has concluded a 9-day joint training programme with Estonian forces.
NATO say in a release that the exercise gathered 7 ships from 4 nations as well as several smaller surface crafts, airplanes and helicopters in the Baltic Sea.
SNMCMG1 currently consists of the German flagship and replenishment vessel Donau, the Norwegian minesweeper Otra, the German minehunter Fulda and the British minehunter HMS Ramsey.
In addition, the Estonian mine countermeasure vessels Wambola, Admiral Cowan, Ugandi and airborne assets from the Estonian Air Force took part in the joint exercise.
“The first part of the training focused on naval mine countermeasures, in the form of Historical Ordnance Disposal Operations (HODOPS) off the coast of Estonia. In total, the group together with the Estonian mine countermeasure vessels covered an area of 44 square nautical miles and identified 180 mine-like objects. Of them, 3 historical mines were neutralised.”
“One thing is having a lot of different assets which are good alone, but getting the assets to operate and function together needs training. During the days in Estonia we enhanced our interoperability, and proved that NATO operations are almost plug and play when we work on same procedures and frequencies”, said Commander SNMCMG1, Henning Knudsen-Hauge.
Cowan eh? It would be nice if some more of our ships were named after illustrious figures (though I may be roasted for such a fantasy fleeter suggestion, and naming them after locations may be better for morale).
He is remembered in Estonia for his role in the Russian civil war
. I visited his memorial stone when there some time ago.
Why are you so obsessed with fantasy fleeters? Do you actually have anything to contribute?
Love reading about foreign nations admiration of some of our people. I wouldn’t have looked up Admiral Cowan if it wasn’t for this post and Geoffrey. Makes me all warm n fuzzy inside. Like reading about the Kosovan love of England based on our intervention there
Surely should be Kosovan love of Britain or better still, the UK Damo?
‘Warm and fuzzy inside’….sounds like a case for syrup of figs!
May well have been the syrup in the form of Imperial Stout that made me all warm and fuzzy lol
Funnily enough I only heard about when England played there. Not seen any pro UK specific stuff about it while googling (albeit i didn’t try that hard). Assuming it’s probably UK
Most of those are British built.