Wikipedia

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		Rear Admiral Pasquale Esposito, Italian Navy

History

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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

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As of 20 January 2024, 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
2024  
Rear Admiral
Pasquale Esposito
(January – ongoing) 		  ITS Carlo Bergamini Carlo Bergamini-class destroyer January – ongoing January – ongoing

Previous task groups

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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  
Rear Admiral
Michael Scott Sciretta
(January – July)
 
Commodore
Paul Stroude
(July – n/a) 		  USS James E. Williams Arleigh Burke-class destroyer January – July January – July
  ITS Carlo Margottini Bergamini-class frigate January – n/a n/a
  TCG Barbaros Barbaros-class frigate January – n/a n/a
  HS Psara Hydra-class frigate January – n/a n/a
  HMCS Fredericton Halifax-class frigate January – n/a n/a
  HMS Duncan Type 45 Destroyer July – n/a July – n/a

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
  
Rear Admiral
Mauro Panebianco
(January – July)
 
Rear Admiral
Michael Scott Sciretta
(1 July – July 2023) 		  ITS Carlo Margottini Bergamini-class frigate January – July January – July
  TCG Göksu Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate January – April n/a
  FGS Lübeck Bremen-class frigate January – 1 June n/a
  ESPS Blas de Lezo Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate 22 January – 30 June n/a
  FS Auvergne Aquitaine-class frigate 22 February – May n/a
  HMS Trent River-class offshore patrol vessel February – March n/a
  HS Aegean Elli-class frigate March – n/a
  ITS Stromboli Stromboli-class replenishment oiler March – n/a
  HMCS Montréal Halifax-class frigate March – July n/a
  HMS Diamond Type 45 destroyer March – April n/a
  TCG Barbaros Barbaros-class frigate 24 March – 30 May n/a
  FS Alsace Aquitaine-class frigate 4 April – May n/a
  ESPS Cantabria Replenishment oiler 10 May – 26 June n/a
  FS Forbin Horizon-class frigate May – 16 June n/a
  FGS Bonn Berlin-class replenishment ship 29 May – June n/a
  TCG Salihreis Barbaros-class frigate 30 May – July n/a
  FS Provence Aquitaine-class frigate 16 June – 31 July n/a
  USS Forrest Sherman Arleigh Burke-class destroyer 1 July – 13 December 1 July – 13 December
  TCG Kemalreis Barbaros-class frigate 1 July – September n/a
  ITS Vulcano Logistic support ship 14 July – 28 July n/a
  HS Kountouriotis Kortenaer-class frigate 20 July – August n/a
  ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate 24 July – 6 September n/a
  FS Languedoc Aquitaine-class frigate 31 July – 6 September n/a
  FGS Bonn Berlin-class replenishment ship 16 August – September n/a
  ITS Antonio Marceglia Bergamini-class frigate 21 August – September n/a
  ESPS Cristóbal Colón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate 13 September – 30 November n/a
  TCG Gemlik G-class frigate September – December n/a
  FS Provence Aquitaine-class frigate September – December n/a
  ITS Alpino Bergamini-class frigate September – December n/a
  USS James E. Williams Arleigh Burke-class destroyer 13 December – July 2023 13 December – 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]  
Rear Admiral
Stefano Russo 		  ESPS Cristóbal Colón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate January – March January – March
  Brandenburg Brandenburg-class frigate January – February n/a
  HS Machitis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
  HS Simeoforos Simitzopoulos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
  HS Armatolos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
  HS Plotarchis Maridakis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
  TCG Türkeli Tuzla-class patrol boat January – March
May – August 		n/a
  Patiño Replenishment oiler January – February n/a
  ITS Virginio Fasan Carlo Bergamini-class frigate February – March n/a
  TCG Kemalreis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat February – May n/a
  HS Kountouriotis Kortenaer-class frigate February – March n/a
  HS Navmachos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat February – March n/a
  HS Xenos Fast attack craft February – March n/a
  HS Tolmi Asheville-class gunboat February – May n/a
  FGS Werra Replenishment oiler February – August n/a
  TCG Karaburn Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat March – May n/a
  Regina Maria Type 22 frigate March – April n/a
  Smeli Frigate March – April n/a
  ESPS Méndez Núñez Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate April – August April – August
  HS Kasos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat May – August n/a
  HS Aittitos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat May – August n/a
  HS Degiannis Fast attack craft May – August n/a
  FGS Lübeck Bremen-class frigate May – September n/a
  TCG Kumkale Tuzla-class patrol boat June – August n/a
  HMS Kent Type 23 frigate June – August n/a
  ITS Virginio Fasan Carlo Bergamini-class frigate August – December August – December
  ESPS Cantabria Replenishment oiler August – October n/a
  TCG Gökçeada Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate September – December n/a
  FGS Spessart Rhön-class tanker September – December n/a
  ITS Carlo Margottini Carlo Bergamini-class frigate December – July 2022 December – July 2022

Organization

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

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2.

References

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  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. ^ a b c d "Standing NATO Maritime Group Two". NATO: Allied Maritime Command. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  12. ^ a b SNMG2, Commander. "SNMG2 Twitter". SNMG2 Twitter. Retrieved 24 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ a b 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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