Spanish Frigate joins NATO Group for Operation Active Endeavour Surge Operations

Courtesy Photo | Commander of SNMG1 Commodore Ben Bekkering on a visit to Álvaro de Bazán. Once aboard and after brief introductions the Commodore attended a briefing on the capabilities of the frigate followed by a tour of the ship Bekkering expressed his keen interest in all the details of ESPS "Álvaro de Bazán" and later stressed his pride in having such a modern and technologically advanced ship under his command.  

NAPLES, ITALY

03.22.2012

Story by David Taylor 

NATO Maritime Command Naples

NISIDA, Naples - The Spanish Frigate ESPS Álvaro de Bazán has joined the ships of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 as a new period of Surge Operations begins in the form of a sweep across a region of the Mediterranean Sea.

ESPS Álvaro de Bazán joins the flagship HNMLS De Ruyter alongside HMCS Charlottetown and FGS Rheinland-Pfalz which today leave the Port of Piraeus, Greece.

Operation Active Endeavour is part of NATO's multi-faceted response to the terrorist threat. Its mission is to conduct maritime operations in the assigned area of operations to demonstrate NATO's resolve to help deter, defend, disrupt and protect against terrorism. As the Alliance has refined its counter-terrorism role over the years, the operation's mandate has been regularly reviewed and its remit extended.

OAE was launched in 2001 following the terrorist attacks againstthe United States. It has since evolved into a comprehensive counter-terrorism operation that is based on the collection and analysis of information of the maritime traffic and on the surveillance conducted by NATO naval and air units. Surveillance by military assets is – at irregular intervals – concentrated into specific areas of the Mediterranean with 'Surge Operations' during which larger scale sweeps are conducted.

• Date Taken: 03.22.2012
• Date Posted: 03.23.2012 10:02
• Story ID: 85692
• Location: NAPLES, IT