The Italian Navy is taking part in the NATO maritime exercise Noble Justification which launched on October 13 from Spanish Rota and Cartagena ports.
Fourteen NATO nations, including Italy, are taking part in the exercise. The Italian Navy is participating with the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2), commanded by Captain Giovanni Piegaja. The Group, which is composed of the Italian frigate ITS AVIERE, acting as flagship, and the minehunters ESPS DUERO (Spain), FGS HOMBURG (Germany), HMS Grimsby (UK), and TCG ERDEK (Turkey), represents a substantial opportunity for NATO to develop force integration and multinational inter-operability.
The minehunters, coordinated from ITS Aviere, are exercising in underwater clearance from mines off Murcia and Andalusia –a high-threat scenario, with the objective of reducing risks for military and cargo ships. A second phase is then focused on a bilateral crisis between two Countries where the Nato Response Force (NRF) intervenes to prevent military escalation and grant security to one of its member states, by taking control of the region. Specific attention is given to the possible reaction to a terroristic attack, and its consequences.
More than five thousand military personnel from fourteen NATO nations, with the involvement of two partner nations, Sweden and Finland, a wide variety of land units, aircraft and Special Forces are taking part in the exercise which will end next October 24 in Rota port.
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Press Release, Image: Italian Navy