NATO warships assemble in Mediterranean Sea

NATO has launched Exercise Dynamic Mariner / Flotex 25, a large-scale multinational maritime drill designed to enhance Allied naval cooperation, improve operational readiness, and reinforce the Alliance’s ability to secure critical sea lanes, according to a press release.

Taking place from 24 March to 4 April 2025, the exercise will be held in the western Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, including Spanish territorial waters.

It brings together 30 surface vessels, two submarines, air assets including Harriers, maritime patrol aircraft, and helicopters, along with 1,500 marines and personnel from six NATO nations—France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Türkiye.

Led by the Spanish Navy, the exercise will simulate a crisis response scenario, testing NATO’s ability to conduct maritime expeditionary operations while enhancing interoperability and collaboration among Allied navies. While Dynamic Mariner is a recurring NATO exercise, this year’s edition has added significance as it prepares Spain’s naval forces to take over as the NATO Allied Reaction Force Maritime (ARF/M) element in July 2025.

The ARF is a newly established concept within NATO, designed to deploy multi-domain forces at shorter notice than previously possible, increasing the Alliance’s flexibility in addressing conventional, hybrid, and cyber threats.

Additionally, Türkiye’s Amphibious Task Force will, for the first time, assume the role of ARF Commander Amphibious Task Force (CATF) and Commander Landing Force (CLF), beginning in July 2025.

The exercise also features the participation of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2), demonstrating integration between NATO’s standing naval forces and national fleets.

“Dynamic Mariner/Flotex 25 is a crucial opportunity for SNMCMG2 to strengthen its mine countermeasures operational capabilities in the multi-threat environment,” said Turkish Navy Captain Kürsat Kurnaz.

“By working alongside our NATO Allies, we aim to enhance our operational cohesion, refine our procedures, and ensure that we remain ready to respond to any maritime security challenge. This exercise reinforces our commitment to maintain safe and secure waters, and contribute to NATO’s overall mission of deterrence and defence.”

Commander of SNMG2, Turkish Rear Admiral H. Ilker Avci, underscored the strategic importance of the exercise, noting NATO’s increasing focus on multi-domain operations.

“The maritime domain is one of the key pillars of Alliance deterrence and defence. Standing Naval Forces have long been the backbone of the Alliance’s peacetime activities in the maritime domain and constitute a force at high readiness to respond to any emerging crisis,” said Rear Admiral Avci.

He added that the introduction of the Allied Reaction Force concept requires closer cooperation between forces and NATO headquarters.

“With Dynamic Mariner/Flotex 25, the interoperability and cohesion among those forces and headquarters will reach unprecedented levels,” he stated. “Showcasing the multi-domain effects we are able to create above the sea, under the sea, on land, and in the air.”