Details remain unclear on the UK contribution to NATO Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) following the emergency deployment of HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean.
Responding to questions from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty about the deployment of the Type 45 destroyer to Cyprus, Defence Minister Al Carns confirmed that the ship was sent to the region following Iranian missile activity. “As the Chief of Defence Staff has said, following Iran’s reckless retaliation, he recommended last Tuesday that HMS Dragon should be deployed,” Carns said. “Ministers then signed this off immediately.”
He added that the destroyer would remain deployed as long as operationally required.
“HMS Dragon will be armed with the necessary available capabilities to meet the operational need and will remain in the region for as long as required to meet our objectives,” Carns said.
Obese-Jecty also asked which Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer would replace HMS Dragon in its role with NATO’s Standing Maritime Group One following the deployment.
In response, Carns did not identify a replacement vessel and instead referred the MP to a previous parliamentary answer. That earlier response outlined how NATO’s standing naval forces operate but did not specify the current UK contribution to the group.
“The Standing Naval Forces are under the control of NATO Allied Maritime Command which responds to Allied Command Operations,” Carns said in that earlier answer. “This multinational, integrated force is continuously available for tasking, ranging from NATO missions to exercise participation.”
Standing NATO Maritime Group One is one of the alliance’s four permanent multinational maritime task groups, designed to provide a ready naval force able to respond rapidly to crises, conduct exercises and support allied operations. The group normally includes a mix of destroyers, frigates and support vessels contributed by NATO member states on a rotational basis.
With most of the French fleet already committed to policing the Med along with the Spanish and the Italians oh yes I forgot the Greeks, I would think the head of Nato would be saying to our Defence department that they need to get some ships and subs to sea right about now. Also with the repatriation of our last mine hunter from the region along with the fact that America has little to no mine hunting ability in the area I would have thourght that our new automatous mine hunting drones might be getting a baptism of fire some time soon as the Iranians have some 3000 sea mines (that we know about) and has reportedly started to deploy a few already. Just wondering which ship will be acting as mother to our mine hunting autonomous fleet, one of the bays, or Sterling castle either way they are going to need protection maybe anouther T45.
So maybe the boat trips around Portsmouth and Plymouth will stop for a time as there will be no ship to look at.
NATO will start to feel the strain in a few months.. essentially France is deploying its entire AAW destroyer fleet and the bulk of its frigate fleet in one go.. this will mean at some point the La Royale will have to pack up go home and do almost nothing for a while..
If as reported its deployed 2 AAW destroyers and 6 frigates ( its destroyers are often classed and reported as frigates..which is I think where the 8 has come from) that’s 100% of its AAW fleet and 50% of its frigate fleet deployed all at one time on essentially combat ops.. as well as 100% of its carrier force and 66% of its amphibious forces..
Don’t get me wrong it’s a remarkable achievement.. but it’s massive risk, because in say 3-6 months time the entire french navy is going home and spending a long time doing nothing but regenerating.