Sea Breeze 2013 Naval Exercise

P-334 TCG Meltem.

While the Breeze 2013 naval exercise has started in Bulgaria, Ukraine is hosting the Sea Breeze 2013 naval exercise. The choise of names and the timing makes it very easy to confuse the two exercises. The Sea Breeze 2013 starts today and will end on 20 July 2013.

Germany, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, Canada, Italy and Bulgaria will take part in the exercise.

It is not a coincidence that the two exercise are running almost simultaneously as the non Black Sea participants of these exercises such as the Spanish Frigate F-103 Blas De Lezo and the Greek fast attack boat P-263 Aittios may only stay in the Black Sea for a limited amount of days. Therefore it was necessary to organize the two exercises near simultaneously.

For those who like to create conspiracy theories the simultaneous start of two naval exercise in The Black Sea might be seen as the NATO’s response to Russian actions in the Med.

In the first day of activity of the conference around 70 military officers from countries-members worked out issues of planning forces during the training and started planning operation. In particular, it was determined that from Ukrainian side divisions and subdivisions of all groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will take part in the exercise. In general, it will be exercised in See Breeze-2013 interaction of over 20 ships and vessels, around 15 planes and helicopters, united brigade of marine corps, subdivisions of special units and search and rescue forces etc.

“The peculiar attention in planning of the following Sea Breeze is paid to cooperation with forces of the State Service for Emergency Situations of Ukraine which in 2013 will exercise for the first time,” told co-director of exercise of the Ukrainian part, Capitan of 1 rank Ihor Teryohin.

It should be noted that Sea Breeze-2013 exercise is targeting holding maritime security operations with the emphasis on evacuation measures. The participants of the maneuvers will exercise a series of joint trainings in liquidation of consequences of natural disaster and man-made accidents and also improve skills of interaction in the course of humanitarian actions directed to keeping security among civil population.

I was able to identify 5 of the 15 warships mentioned above.

Any additional information about the participating units is as always welcomed.