The group currently consists of the FGS Homburg (DEU), HMS Grimsby (UK), TCG Erdek (TUR), HS Evropi (GRE) minesweepers, the BGS Priboy minesweeper (BUL) and the ITS Aviere (ITA) "Flagship" is transferred from the Spanish waters of the Atlantic Ocean, theater of the previous activities, to the Greek port of Patras, also making a short stop in Cagliari.
In fact, here in the Gulf of Patras, the annual exercise organized by the Hellenic navy is taking place, which sees the participating units inserted in a scenario of bilateral crisis between two neighboring nations, one of which, by virtue of the status of a NATO member, requires the Alliance to intervene to prevent further escalation of the current crisis and to guarantee the safety of navigation as a result of counterparty mines activity.
The task of the participating structures is therefore to reclaim the sea areas threatened by the presence of naval mines in order to minimize the risk for merchant traffic in the area. Although ARIADNE 2014 is an exercise focused mainly on the "Naval Mine Warfare", some aspects of anti-air defense and the asymmetric threat defense of the vehicles involved are also carefully considered.
This training moment takes on a particularly important significance for the SNMCMG2 which for the first time in its history records the participation of a unit of the Bulgarian navy. Bulgaria has joined the 29 March 2004 in the Atlantic Treaty and, although it has conducted several MCM exercises with NATO units, has never participated in the SNMCMG2 before. On this occasion, however, the BGS Priboy will be an active part of the group, participating in the subsequent NUSRET exercise that will take place in the Turkish waters of the Gulf of Smyrna.
Confirming how the Bulgarian forces' integration process in the Alliance is delivering positive results is the Bulgarian navy's intention to send its own MCM unit to the next ITA MINEX 2015, an annual specialist exercise to be held from 8 to 18 June 2015 in the waters in front of the Gulf of La Spezia.
Source: Military Navy
