Two NATO Maritime Groups participated in the Breeze 2021, a Bulgarian-led annual naval exercise, that took place from 11 to 19 July off coast of Bulgaria in the Black Sea region, NATO Maritime Command announced.
Breeze is designed to enhance the interoperability of the participating units and strengthen cooperation by practising different warfare techniques in a multi-dimensional scenario. Multinational participating forces and their crews were tested in a wide range of warfare tactics focusing on regional security.
NATO participated with two naval groups, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2).
“After command handover last June in Cartagena, SNMCMG-2 resumed MCM operations in exercise Breeze 21 with two Bulgarian minehunters attached to the Group,” said Captain Javier Nunez De Aparicio, Commander of SNMCMG-2. “It was a great opportunity to demonstrate NATO’s operational capabilities in joint work between units from different countries and cooperating with SNMG-2.”
Exercise Breeze 2021 provided an opportunity for NATO forces to train and build interoperability with additional Allied maritime forces.
“Breeze 21 was a very important advanced exercise, well organized by the Bulgarian Navy, representing an important annual appointment with our Ally,” said Rear Admiral Stefano Russo, Commander of SNMG2 “It was a great opportunity to improve interoperability between different assets and forces.”
14 countries with 30 ships and 2,065 personnel from Albania, Belgium, Great Britain, Georgia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, USA, Turkey, and Ukraine took part in the exercise.
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