The Spanish F-100 frigate Blas de Lezo set sail on Sunday from Ferrol to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG-1) where it will be deployed until December.
The purpose of the deployment is to become part of NATO’s Immediate Reaction Force, thus demonstrating Spain’s commitment with collective security.
This is the 7th time the ‘Blas de Lezo’ (F-103) deploys in one of these Standing Groups.
SNMG-1 is made up of Winnipeg (Canada), Fridtjof Nansen (Norway), Cmdt Blaison and Latouche Treville (France) and Francisco de Almeida (Portugal), the latter being the Group’s flagship under command of the Portuguese Rear admiral Alberto Correia.
Blas de Lezo will participate in two high intensity and visibility exercises; namely, Joint Warrior in Scottish waters and later Trident Juncture 15, the biggest NATO exercise in the Atlantic Ocean in the last decade.
In the second stage of the deployment, the frigate will participate in the counter-terrorist operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean Sea. The F-103 is scheduled to visit the ports of Edinburgh and Belfast (UK), Lisbon (Portugal), Cagliari (Italy) and Istanbul (Turkey).
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Image: Spanish Navy