Standing NATO Maritime Group 1

Last updated
Standing NATO Maritime Group 1
Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 logo.png
Active1968–present
Allegiance Flag of NATO.svg North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Commanders
Current
commander
Rear Admiral Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo, Spanish Navy
SNMG1 per 13 August 2007 in formation. From left to right:
NRP Alvares Cabral - Portugal
HMCS Toronto - Canada
USS Normandy - United States
Spessart - Germany
HNLMS Evertsen - Netherlands
HDMS Olfert Fischer - Denmark Ships of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1.jpg
SNMG1 per 13 August 2007 in formation. From left to right:
NRP Álvares Cabral - Portugal
HMCS Toronto - Canada
USS Normandy - United States
Spessart - Germany
HNLMS Evertsen - Netherlands
HDMS Olfert Fischer - Denmark

Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) is one of NATO's standing naval maritime immediate reaction forces. SNMG1 consists of four to six destroyers and frigates. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability. [1]

Contents

History

In late November 1966, U.S. Rear Admiral Richard G. Colbert prepared a concept paper proposing a permanent Allied Command Atlantic naval contingency force based on Operation Matchmaker, an annual six-month exercise involving ships from NATO navies. The proposed contingency force was approved by NATO in December 1967 and activated in January 1968 as Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT). [2] [3]

During the 1990s, STANAVFORLANT was heavily involved in Operation Maritime Monitor (July 1992 to November 1992), Operation Maritime Guard (November 1992 to June 1993) and Operation Sharp Guard (June 1993 to October 1996), the maritime embargo operations in the Adriatic Sea established to ensure compliance by Serbia and Montenegro with United Nations (UN) resolutions 713, 715, 787, 820 and 943. Between November 1992 and June 1996 some 74,000 ships were challenged, almost 6,000 were inspected at sea and more than 1,400 were diverted and inspected in port. [4]

The force was under the operational control of SACLANT until SACLANT was decommissioned in 2003 and it was folded into NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO) at that time. [5]

The force was re-designated Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 in January 2005. [6]

In September 2007, SNMG1 was in the Red Sea bound for Suez to complete a circumnavigation of Africa when the Jabal al-Tair volcano erupted. SNMG1 ships assisted the Yemeni coast guard in the recovery of their military personnel stationed on the island. [7]

From March 2009 to June 2009 SNMG1 was deployed by NATO off the Somali coast to conduct Operation Allied Protector, to deter, defend and protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels against the threat of piracy and armed robbery, thereby allowing WFP to fulfill its mission of providing humanitarian aid. [8]

Since August 2009, SNMG1 has been providing ships for NATO's Operation Ocean Shield anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden. [9]

On 23–25 March 2012 the group conducted a passing exercise with Carrier Strike Group Twelve, led by USS Enterprise, while carrying out Operation Active Endeavor missions in the Mediterranean Sea. [10] The group's commander, Commodore Ben Bekkering, Royal Netherlands Navy visited Enterprise. [11] At the time the group consisted of the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate De Ruyter, the Spanish Navy frigate Álvaro de Bazán, the German Navy frigate Rheinland-Pfalz, and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate Charlottetown. [12]

Otto Sverdrup and D. Francisco de Almeida during a visit to London in December 2017; both were attached to SNMG1 Portuguese and Norwegian warships moored at South Quay in London.jpg
Otto Sverdrup and D. Francisco de Almeida during a visit to London in December 2017; both were attached to SNMG1

In November 2018, HNoMS Helge Ingstad was operating with SNMG1 when she was involved in a collision with a Maltese flagged tanker and had to be deliberately run aground to prevent her sinking. The remainder of SNMG1 stood by to provide assistance. [13]

During 2021, SNMG1 was active in the region of the Baltic Sea for 12 days. [14]

Current ships

As of 20 January 2024, SNMG1 consists of: [15] [16]

  Previous flagship
  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

YearCommanderShipTypePart of task forceFlagship
2024
Flag of Spain.svg
Rear Admiral
Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo
(January 1 – )
Flag of Spain.svg ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón F-100 January 1 – ongoingJanuary 1 – ongoing
Flag of Spain.svg ESPS Cantabria Replenishment oiler January 1 – ongoingn/a
Flag of Germany.svg FGS Bonn Berlin-class replenishment shipJanuary 1 – ongoingn/a

Previous task groups

As of 8 January 2023, SNMG1 consists of: [15] [16]

  Previous flagship
  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

YearCommanderShipTypePart of task forceFlagship
2023
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Commodore
Jeanette Morang
(January 1 – January 6)
Flag of Germany.svg
Rear-Admiral
Thorsten Marx
(January 6 – ongoing)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg HNLMS Tromp De Zeven Provinciën-class frigateSeptember 19 – n/aSeptember 19 – n/a
Flag of Germany.svg FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Brandenburg-class frigateJanuary 6 – n/an/a
Flag of Poland.svg ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigateJanuary 6 – n/an/a

In 2022, SNMG1 consisted of: [15] [16]

  Previous flagship
  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

YearCommanderShipTypePart of task forceFlagship
2022
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Commodore
Ad van de Sande
(January 7 – July 8)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Commodore
Jeanette Morang
(July 8 – ongoing)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg HNLMS Rotterdam [17] Rotterdam-class amphibious transport dockJanuary 7 – February 4January 7 - February 4
Flag of Denmark.svg HDMS Peter Willemoes [18] Iver Huitfeldt-class frigateJanuary 15 – Apriln/a
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg HMS Kent Duke-class frigateJanuary 24 – February 4n/a
Flag of Germany.svg FGS Berlin Berlin-class replenishment shipFebruary 4 – AprilFebruary 4 – April 6
Flag of the Netherlands.svg HNLMS Van Amstel Karel Doorman-class frigateFebruary 7 – Marchn/a
Flag of Germany.svg FGS Erfurt Braunschweig-class corvetteMarch 2 – Mayn/a
Flag of the Netherlands.svg HNLMS De Zeven Provincien De Zeven Provinciën-class frigateMarch 10 – JulyApril 6 - July
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg HMS Northumberland Duke-class frigateMarch – April 20n/a
Flag of France.svg FS Languedoc Aquitaine-class destroyerMarch – Apriln/a
Flag of France.svg FS Dixmude Mistral-class amphibious assault shipMarch – Apriln/a
Flag of France.svg FS Latouche-Tréville Georges Leygues-class destroyerMarch – Mayn/a
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg HMCS Halifax Halifax-class frigateApril 18 – Julyn/a
Flag of Germany.svg FGS Spessart Rhön-class replenishment oilerApril – August 4n/a
Flag of the Netherlands.svg HNLMS Karel Doorman Joint support ship May 8 – September 23July 8 – September 19
Flag of Portugal.svg NRP Corte-Real Vasco da Gama-class frigateMay 27 – September 14n/a
Flag of Germany.svg FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Brandenburg-class frigateMay 30 – July 15n/a
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg HMS Portland Duke-class frigateJune 15 – August 4n/a
Flag of Norway.svg HNoMS Roald Amundsen Fridtjof Nansen-class frigateAugust 9 – November / Decembern/a
Flag of Norway.svg HNoMS Maud Replenishment oiler August 29 – November / Decembern/a
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg HMS Lancaster Duke-class frigateAugust 29 – October 6n/a
Flag of Germany.svg FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Brandenburg-class frigateSeptember 10 – October 11n/a
Flag of the Netherlands.svg HNLMS Tromp De Zeven Provinciën-class frigateSeptember 19 – ongoingSeptember 19 – ongoing
Flag of France.svg FS Ducuing D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso September 24 – Octobern/a
Flag of Denmark.svg HDMS Esbern Snare Absalon-class frigateOctober 26 – November / Decembern/a

In 2021, SNMG1 consisted of: [15]

  Was a flagship at any time during its deployment
YearCommanderShipTypePart of task forceFlagship
2021 [16] Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Commodore
Bradley Peats
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg HMCS Halifax Frigate January 18 – April 12
May 19 – July 10
January 18 – April 12
May 19 – July 10
Flag of Denmark.svg HDMS Absalon Frigate March 25 – June 18April 12 – May 19
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg HMS Lancaster Frigate Marchn/a
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg HMS Westminster Frigate Marchn/a
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg RFA Tiderace Replenishment Oiler Marchn/a
Flag of France.svg FS Bretagne Destroyer May 7 – May 14
November 22 – December 15
n/a
Flag of France.svg FS Normandie Destroyer May 21 – May 30
September 22 – September 29
n/a
Flag of Norway.svg HNoMS Storm Corvette June 6 – June 18n/a
Flag of Norway.svg HNoMS Gnist Corvette June 6 – June 18n/a
Flag of France.svg FS Commandant Blaison OPV June 6 – June 18n/a
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg HMCS Fredericton Frigate August 2 – October 5
October 17 – December 15
August 2 – October 5
October 30 – December 15
Flag of Portugal.svg NRP Corte-Real Frigate August 25 – December 15n/a
Flag of the Netherlands.svg HNLMS Van Amstel Frigate September 6 – December 15n/a
Flag of Norway.svg HNoMS Maud Replenishment Oiler September 6 – December 3n/a
Flag of Spain.svg ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón Frigate September 16 – October 30October 5 – October 30
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg BNS Leopold I Frigate October 9 – October 29n/a

During this deployment, SNMG1 took part in numerous exercises including:

Organization

SNMG1 is a component of the NATO Response Force (NRF). [1]

See also

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References

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