6 NATO Ships Begin Joint Black Sea Exercise
Six NATO warships, including Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian vessels, have arrived to the Black Sea to start joint training exercises.
NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) arrived today in the Black Sea to operate and train with ships from the Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish Navies, according to NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) press release.
Marine Group Two is comprised of six ships — Vicksburg, Fredericton, Turgutreis, Spessart, Aliseo, and Regina Maria, according to MARCOM.
The joint training, led by US Rear Adm. Brad Williamson, will include simulated anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, small boat attacks and ship-handling maneuvers, the press release stated.
“The training and exercises we will conduct with our Allies in the Black Sea prepares us to undertake any mission Nato might require to meet its obligations for collective defence,” Williamson said. “We are here at the invitation of the Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian governments and look forward to enhancing our interoperability with their navies.”
Tensions in the Black Sea region are running high because of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine and Russia's annexation of the country's Crimea Peninsula last year.
"NATO regularly deploys ships to the Black Sea for maritime awareness and training. This scheduled deployment, given Russia's continued assertiveness, carries an additional message of reassurance to allies in the region," a NATO official said.
The maritime groups often exercise with counterparts across the alliance, and they rotate participation in NATO’s anti-piracy operation, Ocean Shield.
