Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group Two In Istanbul

26 Mar 2017

The Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group Two arrived in Istanbul on 24 March 2017. The task group had made her northbound passage through the city 20 days before.

During this 20 days the task force first took part in Poseidon 2017. The mine warfare exercise was held between 5 and 15 March 2017.

After the completion of the exercise the task force sailed to Odessa, Ukraine. There the ship were open to public and received thousands of visitors during their stay there.

One day short of their allowance by the Montreux Convention the Task force sailed southbound through Istanbul Strait and docked in Istanbul port for a well-earned post visit.

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Poseidon 2017 Naval Exercise

11 Mar 2017 2 Comments

NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two passing through Istanbul before taking part in Poseidon 2017.

Mine warfare exercise Poseidon, hosted by Romania is continuing in Black Sea

The exercise has started on 5 March 2016 and will end on 15 March 2017. Exercise Poseidon began in 2015 as a bilateral Romanian-Bulgarian naval exercise. The host for the exercise alternates each year between Romania and Bulgaria. NATO Standing Groups regularly participate in exercises in the Black Sea to support interoperability, practice NATO standard procedures, tactics and techniques with Allied nations bordering the Black Sea.

The main aim of the exercise is to promote mutual understanding, confidence, interoperability and defense cooperation among participating nations.

Furthermore, the exercise intents:

  • To enhance operational capabilities and readiness of all participants;
  • To exercise NATO maritime warfare procedures and tactics in a joint interagency, multinational environment;
  • To exercise NATO maritime procedures for command, control and communications;
  • To exercise NATO Rules of Engagement (NATO ROE – MC 362);
  • To enhance the CIMIC and interagency cooperation in multi-threat environment;
  • To practice standard operational procedures, communications, and support to maritime forces taking part in Crisis Response Operation (CRO)
  • To improve the operational and tactical interoperability between participating MW, ASW ships and EOD team.

Over 1500 troops and following ships are taking part in the exercise:

Number Name Type Country
63 BS Priboy Mine sweeper Bulgaria
M-1061 FGS Rottweil Mine hunter Germany
M-62 HS Europa Mine hunter Greece
511 Kontradmirał X. Czernicki Tender Poland
25 ROS Lieutenant Lupu Dunescu Mine sweeper Romania
30 ROS Sub Lieutenant Alexandru Axente Mine sweeper Romania
264 ROS Admiral Eustatiu Sebstian Corvette Romania
M-35 ESPS Duero Mine hunter Spain
M-265 TCG Alanya Mine hunter Turkey
M-269 TCG Anamur Mine hunter Turkey

Filed under Black Sea, Exercise, NATO Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nusret 2016 Mine Warfare Exercise

24 Nov 2016 2 Comments

CDY_3124

Romanian mine sweeper ROS Sub Lieutenant Alexandru Axente will take part in the Nusret 2016 mine warfare exercise. This photo is from her spring deployment.

Each year Turkish Navy organises a mine warfare exercise named after the famous minelayer Nusret.

This year the exercise will be held between 25 November and 4 December  2016, in İzmir Bay.

The aim of the exercise is to provide training for the planning and execution of mine warfare and to improve the interoperability in mine warfare, between warships from participant countries.

Turkish Armed Forces will take part with 7 mine hunters, one mine layer / command and control ship, one corvette, one patrol boat, one mine retriever, 3 Coast Guard vessels, one naval EOD team, one helicopter, 2 F-16C fighters and one C-130 cargo plane.

Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Romania and Spain will send one mine warfare ship. Belgium will take part with one autonomous underwater vehicle and its crew. Greece and Romania will each deploy one EOD team as well.

The below is the list of the participating warships as far as I could identify:

Number Name Type Country
63 BGS Priboy Mine sweeper Bulgaria
M-1058 FGS Fulda Mine hunter Germany
A-470 HS Aliakmon Command Greece
M-63 HS Kallisto Mine hunter Greece
30 ROS Sub Lieutenant Alexandru Axente Mine sweeper Romania
 M-36 ESPS Tajo Mine hunter Spain
F-511 TCG Heybeliada Corvette Turkey
M-265 TCG Alanya Mine hunter Turkey
M-266 TCG Amasra Mine hunter Turkey
M-267  TCG Ayvalık Mine hunter Turkey
M-269 TCG Anamur Mine hunter Turkey
M-260 TCG Edincik Mine hunter Turkey
M-261 TCG Edremit Mine hunter Turkey
M-262 TCG Enez Mine hunter Turkey
A-577 TCG Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Command Turkey
P-1206  TCG Karşıyaka Patrol ship Turkey

Further reading:

Nusret 2014

Nusret 2013

Nusret 2012

Nusret 2011

Nusret 2010

Filed under Aegean, Exercise, Turkish Navy Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

From The Archive (21)

7 Jul 2016 1 Comment

S196

S-196 U-17 in Marmaris on 28 April 2005. She visited the city during Marmaris Maritime Fair. Note the size difference between U-17 in foreground and Tang class TCG Pirireis in the background. U-17 was decommissioned on 14 December 2010.

Filed under Bosphorus Tagged with , ,

SNMG-2 Arrives In Varna

8 Mar 2015 1 Comment

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Bulgarian frigate BNS Drazki, in Varna. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev. Used with permission.

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Canadian frigate HMCS Fredericton arriving to Varna. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev. Used with permission.

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Turkish frigate TCG Turgutreis arriving to Varna. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev. Used with permission.

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German tanker FGS Spessart in Varna. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev. Used with permission.

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Italian frigate ITS Alieso in Varna. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev. Used with permission.

The ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2) arrived to-day to the Bulgarian port Varna. There is a very strong north wind in the Black Sea throughout the weekend and I think the sailors are happy to be in a port in this weather. According to the excellent Bulgarian blog SeaDog, the flagship of the task force USS Vicksburg did not enter the harbor due to strong winds. She is expected to arrive on 8 March 2015.

“Our Sailors are excited to visit Varna and to interact with the people who represent this city and nation,” said Rear Admiral Williamson. “More importantly, we are looking forward to getting back underway and training with the professional mariners of the Bulgarian Navy.”

During the port visit, SNMG2 leadership will meet with local Bulgarian authorities and Navy officials to discuss numerous issues of shared importance, to include exercises in the Black Sea.

SNMG2 is in the Black Sea as part of a regularly scheduled deployment to the region to assure NATO Allies of the Alliance’s commitment to collective defense. During the deployment, SNMG2 ships are training with ships from the Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish Navies.

According to Russian websites the first two ship of the task force to enter the Black Sea USS Vicksburg and TCG Turgutreis were greeted by Russian Su-24 and Su-30 warplanes.

Filed under Black Sea Tagged with , , , , , , ,

From The Archive (7)

27 Jul 2014 3 Comments

My captured picture

This weeks post features the Hamburg class destroyer of German Navy D-184 FGS Hessen. This photo was taken in 1989 during her last cruise. She was decommissioned March 1990.

Filed under Bosphorus Tagged with , , ,

The Participants Of Brilliant Mariner 2013

30 Sep 2013

One of the NATO’s largest exercise Brilliant Mariner 2013 is continuing in the Mediterranean.

The exercise, which will end on 6 October 2013, will take place in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Sicily and Sardinia.

Over five thousand military and naval personnel from 12 NATO nations comprising Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany , Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States will participate in this major annual exercise.

25 warships, including one aircraft carrier, 12 frigates, one amphibious warfare ship, one auxiliary ship and 7 mines countermeasures vessels will be involved, alongside a wide variety of aircraft, submarines and embarked marines. Two submarines and a Maritime Patrol Aircraft will also take part.

I was able to compile the most of the participating ships with the help of Russian radio scanners:

Number Name Type Country
C-550 ITS Cavour Aircraft Carrier Italy
D-554 ITS Caio Duilio Destroyer Italy
D-561 ITS Francesco Mimbelli Destroyer Italy
F-571 ITS Grecale Frigate Italy
F-574 ITS Aliseo Frigate Italy
F-576 ITS Espero Frigate Italy
F-557 ITS Fenice Corvette Italy
P-490 ITS Comandante Cigala Fulgosi OPV Italy
P-493 ITS Comandante Foscari OPV Italy
L-9893 ITS San Marco LPD Italy
A-5327 ITS Stromboli Tanker Italy
F-103 ESPS Blas De Lezo Frigate Spain
F-246 TCG Salihreis Frigate Turkey
F-219 FGS Sachsen Frigate Germany
F-218 FGS Meclenburg- Vorpommern Frigate Germany
S-522 ITS Salvatore Pelosi Submarine Italy
S-358 TCG Çanakkale Submarine Turkey
A-512 FGS Mosel Tender Germany
M-1061 FGS Rottweil Mine hunter Germany
M-264 TCG Erdemli Mine hunter Turkey
5558 ITS Crotone Mine hunter Italy
5552 ITS Milazzo Mine hunter Italy

Any additions and corrections are most welcome.

Filed under Exercise, Mediterranean, NATO Tagged with , , , , , , ,

NATO SNMCMG-2 In The Black Sea

27 Aug 2013 5 Comments

a512

The German tender A-512 FGS Mosel. The flagship of NATO SNMCMG-2.

m264

M-264 TCG Erdemli. The Turkish contribution to SNMCMG-2.

m1061

M-1061 FGS Rottweil. The German contribution to SNMCMG-2.

Two German and one Turkish warship created a were in Istanbul for the weekend.

The three ships of the NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, A-512 FGS Mosel, M-264 TCG Erdemli, and M-1061 FGS Rottweil, arrived in Istanbul on 23 August 2013 Friday and left on 26 August 2013.

According to the official web page of SNMCMG-2 there should be a fourth ship: HMS Ledbury, but she was not is Istanbul. NATO is notoriously bad at updating these pages.

The task force is currently in the Black Sea. I would appreciate any information about their destination.

Filed under Black Sea, NATO Tagged with , , , , ,

FGS Hessen In In Marmaris

11 Mar 2013

Photo: aksam.com

F-221 FGS Hessen and A-1442 FSG Spessart in Aksaz. Photo: aksam.com

In the morning hours two German warships will leave the Turkish naval base Aksaz, Marmaris and will head to eastern Mediterranean. The frigate F-221 FGS Hessen and the replenishment ship A-1442 FSG Spessart have arrived in Aksaz naval base on 8th March 2013 for a 3 day port visit.

According to NATO, these two warships make the whole Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 which conducts the Operation Active Endeavour in the eastern Mediterranean.

 

Filed under Port Visit Tagged with , , , ,

>German Minehunter Bad Rappenau On Nusret 2010 Exercise

22 Nov 2010

>The German 332 class minehunter, M-1067 Bad Rappenau has an interesting webpage where they write about their deployment in SNMCMG 2.

They have shared their experience in the Nusret 2010 invitation mine exercise. Click here to read it.

Filed under Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , ,

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