Standing NATO Maritime Group 2

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standing maritime immediate reaction force. SNMG2 consists of four to six destroyers and frigates. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability.[1]

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2
Active1992–present
AllegianceNATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Commanders
Current
commander
Commodore Paul Stroude, Royal Navy

History

Portuguese frigate NRP Corte Real and Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu, participating in SNMG-2 during Phoenix Express (PE 08).

Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED) was activated on 30 April 1992, at Naples, Italy. STANAVFORMED was the successor to the NATO Naval On-Call Force Mediterranean (NAVOCFORMED) – which had been periodically activated for more than 20 years.[2]

During the 1990s, STANAVFORMED was heavily involved in Operation Maritime Monitor (July 1992 to November 1992), Operation Maritime Guard (November 1992 to June 1993) and Operation Sharp Guard (June 1993 to October 1996), the maritime embargo operations in the Adriatic Sea established to ensure compliance by Serbia and Montenegro with United Nations (UN) resolutions 713, 715, 787, 820 and 943. Between November 1992 and June 1996 some 74,000 ships were challenged, almost 6,000 were inspected at sea and more than 1,400 were diverted and inspected in port.[3]

On 6 October 2001, STANAVFORMED deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Active Endeavour, NATO's maritime contribution to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction.[4]

The force was re-designated Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in January 2005.[5]

From June 2009 to August 2009 SNMG2 was deployed by NATO off the Somali coast to conduct Operation Allied Protector, to deter, defend and protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels against the threat of piracy and armed robbery, thereby allowing WFP to fulfill its mission of providing humanitarian aid.[6]

Since August 2009, SNMG2 has been providing ships for NATO's Operation Ocean Shield anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.[7]

In 2019, SNMG2 was tasked with patrol of the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.[8] In 2021, SNMG2 took part in Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 in the Black Sea, co-hosted by the Ukrainian Navy and the United States Sixth Fleet.[9][10]

Current ships

As of 16 February 2023, SNMG2 consists of:[11][12][13]

  Previous flagship
  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year Commander Ship Type Part of task force Flagship
2023 United States
Rear Admiral
Michael Scott Sciretta
(January – July)
United Kingdom
Commodore
Paul Stroude
(July – ongoing)
United States USS James E. Williams Arleigh Burke-class destroyer January – July January – July
Italy ITS Carlo Margottini Bergamini-class frigate January – ongoing n/a
Turkey TCG Barbaros Barbaros-class frigate January – ongoing n/a
Greece HS Psara Hydra-class frigate January – ongoing n/a
Canada HMCS Fredericton Halifax-class frigate January – ongoing n/a

United Kingdom HMS Duncan

Type 45 Destroyer July – ongoing July – ongoing

Previous task groups

In 2022, SNMG2 consisted of:[11]

  Previous flagship
  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year Commander Ship Type Part of task force Flagship
2022
Italy
Rear Admiral
Mauro Panebianco
(January – July)
United States
Rear Admiral
Michael Scott Sciretta
(July 1 – July 2023)
Italy ITS Carlo Margottini Bergamini-class frigate January – July January – July
Turkey TCG Göksu Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate January – April n/a
Germany FGS Lübeck Bremen-class frigate January – June 1 n/a
Spain ESPS Blas de Lezo Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate January 22 – June 30 n/a
France FS Auvergne Aquitaine-class frigate February 22 – May n/a
United Kingdom HMS Trent River-class offshore patrol vessel February – March n/a
Greece HS Aegean Elli-class frigate March – n/a
Italy ITS Stromboli Stromboli-class replenishment oiler March – n/a
Canada HMCS Montréal Halifax-class frigate March – July n/a
United Kingdom HMS Diamond Type 45 destroyer March – April n/a
Turkey TCG Barbaros Barbaros-class frigate March 24 – May 30 n/a
France FS Alsace Aquitaine-class frigate April 4 – May n/a
Spain ESPS Cantabria Replenishment oiler May 10 – June 26 n/a
France FS Forbin Horizon-class frigate May – June 16 n/a
Germany FGS Bonn Berlin-class replenishment ship May 29 – June n/a
Turkey TCG Salihreis Barbaros-class frigate May 30 – July n/a
France FS Provence Aquitaine-class frigate June 16 – July 31 n/a
United States USS Forrest Sherman Arleigh Burke-class destroyer July 1 – December 13 July 1 – December 13
Turkey TCG Kemalreis Barbaros-class frigate July 1 – September n/a
Italy ITS Vulcano Logistic support ship July 14 – July 28 n/a
Greece HS Kountouriotis Kortenaer-class frigate July 20 – August n/a
Spain ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate July 24 – September 6 n/a
France FS Languedoc Aquitaine-class frigate July 31 – September 6 n/a
Germany FGS Bonn Berlin-class replenishment ship August 16 – September n/a
Italy ITS Antonio Marceglia Bergamini-class frigate August 21 – September n/a
Spain ESPS Cristóbal Colón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate September 13 – November 30 n/a
Turkey TCG Gemlik G-class frigate September – December n/a
France FS Provence Aquitaine-class frigate September – December n/a
Italy ITS Alpino Bergamini-class frigate September – December n/a
United States USS James E. Williams Arleigh Burke-class destroyer December 13 – July 2023 December 13 – July 2023

In 2021, SNMG2 consisted of:[11]

  Was a flagship at any time during its deployment
Year Commander Ship Type Part of task force Flagship
2021[14] Italy
Rear Admiral
Stefano Russo
Spain ESPS Cristóbal Colón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate January – March January – March
Germany Brandenburg Brandenburg-class frigate January – February n/a
Greece HS Machitis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
Greece HS Simeoforos Simitzopoulos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
Greece HS Armatolos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
Greece HS Plotarchis Maridakis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
Turkey TCG Türkeli Tuzla-class patrol boat January – March
May – August
n/a
Spain Patiño Replenishment oiler January – February n/a
Italy ITS Virginio Fasan Carlo Bergamini-class frigate February – March n/a
Turkey TCG Kemalreis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat February – May n/a
Greece HS Kountouriotis Kortenaer-class frigate February – March n/a
Greece HS Navmachos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat February – March n/a
Greece HS Xenos Fast attack craft February – March n/a
Greece HS Tolmi Asheville-class gunboat February – May n/a
Germany FGS Werra Replenishment oiler February – August n/a
Turkey TCG Karaburn Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat March – May n/a
Romania Regina Maria Type 22 frigate March – April n/a
Bulgaria Smeli Frigate March – April n/a
Spain ESPS Méndez Núñez Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate April – August April – August
Greece HS Kasos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat May – August n/a
Greece HS Aittitos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat May – August n/a
Greece HS Degiannis Fast attack craft May – August n/a
Germany FGS Lübeck Bremen-class frigate May – September n/a
Turkey TCG Kumkale Tuzla-class patrol boat June – August n/a
United Kingdom HMS Kent Type 23 frigate June – August n/a
Italy ITS Virginio Fasan Carlo Bergamini-class frigate August – December August – December
Spain ESPS Cantabria Replenishment oiler August – October n/a
Turkey TCG Gökçeada Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate September – December n/a
Germany FGS Spessart Rhön-class tanker September – December n/a
Italy ITS Carlo Margottini Carlo Bergamini-class frigate December – July 2022 December – July 2022

Organization

SNMG2 is a component of the NATO Response Force (NRF).[15]

See also

References

  1. "Maritime Groups". NATO. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  2. "Standing Naval Force Mediterranean". Hansard. 20 May 1992. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  3. "Operation Sharp Guard". NATO. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  4. "Operation Active Endeavour". Global Security. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  5. Bekkevold, Jo Inge; Till, Geoffrey (2016). International Order at Sea: How it is challenged. How it is maintained. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 136. ISBN 978-1137586629.
  6. Counter-piracy Operations. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Retrieved: 27 December 2013.
  7. Operation Ocean Shield Archived 2011-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "CANADA HANDS COMMAND OF STANDING NATO MARITIME GROUP TWO TO ITALY". NATO Maritime Command. 16 December 2019.
  9. "NATO Allies and Partners Ready for Exercise SEA BREEZE 21" (Press release). NATO. 25 June 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  10. Lundquist, Edward (13 July 2021). "Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 Comes to a Close in Black Sea". Seapower. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  11. "Standing NATO Maritime Group Two". NATO: Allied Maritime Command. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  12. SNMG2, Commander. "SNMG2 Twitter". SNMG2 Twitter. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  13. NATO, Maritime Command. "NATO Maritime Command Twitter". NATO Maritime Command Twitter. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  14. "Rear Admiral Stefano Russo" (PDF). NATO. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  15. "Maritime-Groups". mc.nato.int. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
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