NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), consisting of USS James E Williams (USA), HMCS Fredericton (Canada), HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (Netherlands) and ITS Paolo Thaon di Revel (Italy), recently visited Souda Bay, Greece, after conducting gunnery exercises and vigilance activities in the Adriatic, Ionian and central Mediterranean seas.
During their stay, the US sailors from the James E Williams conducted training with the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre, which aimed to enhance their familiarity with NATO tactics, techniques and procedures to conduct vessel-boarding operations.
NATO procedures
‘By learning and incorporating NATO procedures on boarding ships in the region, US personnel can now integrate with allied sailors and conduct joint visits and searches of suspicious vessels at sea should the need arise,’ said SNMG2 commander USN RAdm Scott Sciretta.
‘This valuable skill increases our ability to work with our allies and ensures the maritime channels in the Mediterranean region remain safe.’
As a NATO task group, SNMG2 prioritises its mandate to enhance the collective capacity, responsiveness, deployable readiness, integration and interoperability of its forces, upholding freedom of navigation, securing maritime trade routes and protecting the main lines of communication.
Maritime security
This demonstration of interoperability and maritime security capabilities in Souda Bay reinforces NATO’s commitment to ensuring regional stability and safety in the Mediterranean.
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Source: Shephard Media
