| Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1999–present |
| Allegiance |  North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Captain Ettore Ronco, Italian Navy |
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standing mine countermeasures Immediate Reaction Force. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability.[1]
History
From its activation on 27 May 1999, the unit was initially called Standing Mine Countermeasures Force (in the) Mediterranean (MCMFORMED).[2]
MCMFORMED and her sister force Mine Counter Measures Force North Western Europe (MCMFORNORTH) were tasked in June 1999 to operate in the Adriatic Sea to clear ordnance jettisoned during Operation Allied Force. The combined force comprised 11 minehunters and minesweepers and a support ship. The operation, named Allied Harvest, began on 9 June 1999. Search activities began three days later and lasted 73 days. In total, 93 pieces of ordnance were located and cleared in the nine areas which encompassed 1,041 square nautical miles (3,570 km2; 1,379 sq mi).[3]
From 3 September 2001 it was known as the Mine Countermeasures Force South (MCMFORSOUTH) and from 1 January 2005 it became Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2.[2]
Current ships
As of 12 January 2024, the fleet consists of:[4]
(Flagship) HS ATLAS class AOR – Replenishment oiler, HS IRAKLIS A472 [5]
Gaeta class minehunter, Viareggio
See also
References
- ↑ "Maritime Groups". NATO. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- 1 2 Bekkevold, Jo Inge; Till, Geoffrey (2016). International Order at Sea: How it is challenged. How it is maintained. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 136. ISBN 978-1137586629.
- ↑ "Operation Allied Harvest". Global Security. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ↑ "Allied Maritime Command - Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2)". mc.nato.int.
- ↑ "General Support Ship HS IRAKLIS". hellenicnavy.gr/en/fleet/general-support-ships/hs-hercules-a-472/.