The ceremony, chaired by the rear admiral Kamensky of the American navy, deputy chief of staff of the command of the allied maritime component, saw Italy assume for the fourth time the command of the second permanent group of countermeasure mines of NATO at the time displaced in the Sea Mediterranean.
"I receive from the commander Seipel an extraordinarily capable instrument, made of effective means and highly qualified, trained and motivated staff who, in respect of the best traditions of the Atlantic alliance countries, have a high experience in mine countermeasures activities. It is a naval group certainly able to carry out the tasks that will be assigned to it for the safeguarding of free navigation and the fight against illicit trafficking "said the commander Piegaja during the ceremony of taking the command.
The frigate Aviere, the ship group's flag ship, has a military 195 crew and will embark a staff composed of 10 officers and non-commissioned officers, including a Greek naval officer, for the entire year of command.
The SNMCMG 2, currently composed of the frigate Aviere, the British minesweeper HMS Blyth and the Turkish minesweeper TCG Akcay, is able to cope with a number of operational activities, which are applied in the drills and in the real operations of hunting mines . The group is indeed specialized in research, localization and subsequent neutralization of any type of device that could pose a threat to free navigation.
It is normally deployed in the Mediterranean in order to increase maritime safety and to affirm NATO's constant operational presence in the region, including support for the Active Endeavor anti-terrorism operation in its activities.
Source: Military Navy
