NATO vessels have monitored Russian ships transiting the Celtic Sea, English Channel and the North Sea.
NATO say that this common effort “has been coordinated with multiple entities including Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) and Allied navies’ Maritime Operations Centres leading to a shared maritime picture across the Alliance”.
“Routinely monitoring areas and activities of interest to the maritime security of Alliance Nations is an important part of NATO’s responsibilities,” Commander, Surface Forces NATO German Navy Rear Admiral Stefan Pauly said. “It creates overall maritime awareness and contributes to the safety of navigation for the international maritime community.”
SNMG1, currently under the command of Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Jeanette Morang is NATO’s Very High Readiness Task Group made up of ships from the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
Similarly, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) is deployed in the Mediterranean Sea and maintains a comprehensive picture of maritime operations in the region including, but not limited to, the presence of Russian Navy units.
“Through close and permanent coordination between Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and Allied national headquarters, NATO maximizes operational effectiveness. Under the command of U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Scott Sciretta, SNMG2 includes ships from the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Türkiye, and the U.K.
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Groups 1 and 2 also work in parallel with the SNMGs providing an integrated, multinational defensive force. The SNMCMG1 is led by Estonian Navy Commander Ott Laanemets and includes ships from Latvia, Canada, Germany, and the U.K. SNMCMG2 is led by Turkish Navy Captain Yusuf Karagulle and includes ships from Turkiye, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.”
Even though a number of NATO, Allied, Partner, and Russian ships sail in the same areas, NATO has not observed any aggressive behaviour from the Russian ships, say the Alliance.
“NATO has not observed any aggressive behaviour from the Russian ships”
Hardly surprising any agressive act would be met with overwhelming force, strike aircraft, surface ships and submarines anything in range would be lining up to have a go. If I was a Russian sailor floating up the English Channel I would be on my very best behaviour…
Nice article explaining how NATO developments its’ maritime picture and coordinates its response.
Cheers CR
It would be interesting to be at Northwood to see the RMP “Recognised Maritime Picture” in action.
The only thing that you couldn’t figure out from OSINT is where the subs are?
Mind you OSINT will tell you which ones are in port. So that is 65%+ of them taken care of.
That is the funny thing these days: what used to be very secret government owned information is now variable to everyone via commercial channels.
In a sense it is what makes the Russian Maskirovka so ineffective is that is no longer a ‘he said – she said’ argument but 3rd parties can establish the baseline facts quite clearly.
Yes. Satellites, IUSS, MPA, NATO escorts, NATO subs, added to the OSINT you mention, collated into the RMP.
This is produced at places like Dam Neck, and also available at Northwood,
I believe they give a good idea where Russian assets actually are, on top of the OSINT that they have left port or were photographed in such and such a place.
Links of interest that feed into said RMP.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/308321/us-uk-celebrate-expanded-capabilities-nopf-dam-neck
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-maritime-security-centre
There are also the maritime crypto and SIGINT sides that feed into it and we have plenty of skin in that game too.
Yes. I posted a longer reply but it had links so moderating.