NAPLES, Italy - On April 21, Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measure Group 1 entered the Port of Alicante marking the end of participation in NATO’s anti-terrorist Operation Active Endeavour for ORP Czernicki and FGS Datteln.
The duty period had begun five weeks earlier when SNMCMG1 left the port of Malaga, March 14 for the Central Mediterranean, sailing along the North African coast and contributing to OAE by compiling a patterns-of-life picture.
Following a period in mid-March establishing Maritime Situational Awareness in the Central Mediterranean the initial strength of SNMCMG1 was changed as the nations decided to transfer Hr. Ms. Haarlem, HMS Brocklesby and BNS Narcis to participate in Operation Unified Protector.
However NATO decided that SNMCMG1 would continue to participate in the important OAE mission so on 31 March, FGS Datteln and ORP Czernicki, resumed Operation Active Endeavour along the North African coast. Apart from a maintenance visit to the Port of Palermo, SNMCMG1 dedicated the rest of its assigned time in OAE surveillance operations and patrolling the maritime approaches to North Africa. The two ships also carried out extensive training programmes at every opportunity.
“Despite the unavoidable reduction in the strength of the group, SNMCMG1 made a valuable contribution to the Maritime Situational Awareness in the Mediterranean as part of Operation Active Endeavour,” said Cmdr. Herman Lammers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, commander of the group.
“It has been an interesting and rewarding period for SNMCMG1, operating in the Mediterranean the past 5 weeks. Although our units were not specifically designed for these types of operations, we are always adaptable and I am happy that we were able to contribute fully to the operation.”
