NATO Ships Participate in ITA MINEX 22, Mare Aperto

Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) participated in Exercise Mare Aperto-Italian Mine Warfare Exercise 22 (ITA MINEX-22) in the Mediterranean Sea May 13-27.

Exercise Mare Aperto-ITA MINEX 22 was an opportunity for NATO to enhance its mine countermeasures skills during realistic, complex, and challenging scenarios with the aim of increasing combat readiness while assuring Allies of NATO’s commitment to our collective defence.

More than 4,000 sailors from seven NATO nations participated in the exercises aboard 65 ships, submarines, and fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The international maritime force trained together in the Mediterranean including the Adriatic, Ionian, and Tyrrhenian Seas, and the Strait of Sicily. 

SNMCMG2, consisting of the Spanish Navy flagship ESP Meteoro (P41), minehunters French Navy FS Capricorne (M653), Hellenic Navy HS Evropi (M62), Italian Navy ITS Numana (M5557), and German Navy FGS Bad Rappenau (M1067), was confronted in a tri-dimensional, multi-threat environment for naval mine warfare operations, including asymmetric threats, in addition to manoeuvring and communication exercises. Mare Aperto-ITA MINEX enabled SNMCMG2 staff and crews to improve in forward-planning capabilities and to increase readiness in detecting and identifying mines at sea.  

“Mare Aperto-ITA-MINEX provides an outstanding option for training under realistic conditions along with our allies,” Commander, SNMCMG2 Captain Javier Nuñez de Prado said. “Our ability work together to detect and neutralize mines is critical to maintaining safe and open sea lines of communication for the international community.“

SNMCMG2 performed the exercises with Italian and Spanish mine countermeasures ships as well as the Mine Countermeasure Command of the Italian Navy (MARICODRAG) embarked on the Italian Navy’s new, state-of-the-art ship, ITS Paolo Thaon di Revel (P430). 

Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) also participated in the last phase of Mare Aperto providing support from French Navy FS Forbin (D620) and Canadian HMCS Montreal (FFH 336).