Operation Sharp Guard
Operation Sharp Guard was a joint operation of NATO and the Western European Union ( WEU) and has been through several UN resolutions (713, 757, 787, 820 and 943 ) covered. It started officially on 15 June 1993, replaced the separate operations Guard Maritime Organization (NATO) and Sharp Fence ( WEU).
Target
The aim of the mission was the enforcement of economic sanctions and arms embargo against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the areas of operation Otranto and Montenegro, including the territorial waters of Albania and Montenegro to the sea and in the air.
History
The operation was largely carried out by warships which were supported by patrols and AWACS early warning aircraft. At the Combined Task Force 440 in the operational area of the southern Adriatic NATO ships also took of contingents from the permanent maritime NATO mission associations Standing Naval Force Mediterranean ( STANAVFORMED / SNFM ) Standing Naval Force Atlantic ( STANAVFORLANT / SNFL ) and the WEU Contingency Maritime Force ( WEUCONMARFOR ) part. The maritime patrol aircraft from eight NATO countries with the aircraft Breguet Atlantic, P-3 Orion and Nimrod had their bases on the Italian military airfields Decimomannu and Sigonella. Eight AWACS aircraft of the type E -3A Sentry NATO Airborne Early Warning Force ( NAEWF ) operated at the same time for Operation Sharp Guard and Deny Flight operation, as well as two British AWACS aircraft of type E- 3D and French E -3F. The early warning aircraft used the bases Geilenkirchen in Germany, Aviano and Trapani in Italy and Waddington in the UK.
On March 13, 1994, the embargo on small arms by the UN resolution 1021 and the Peace Agreement General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia - Herzegovina has been set. The units in the context of Sharp Guard controlled then only ships to heavy weapons and their ammunition, and mines, military aircraft and helicopters.
On 1 May 1994 the multinational naval forces prevented the breaking of a set commissioned by the Yugoslav Navy and registered in Malta Oil tanker Lido II The ship was escorted in Italian territorial waters for breach of the embargo.
On November 22, 1995, the trade embargo by the United Nations was suspended by the UN Resolution 1022. Missions under the Sharp Guard ended on 19 June 1996, officially it was but by the end of the lifting of the recent penalties on 2 October 1996.
Participating Nations
On the whole operation a total of 14 nations were involved: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United States.
The commander of Combined Task Force 440 was the Italian Admiral Mario Angeli and at the same time commander of the Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe ( NAVSOUTH ). His deputy was Rear Admiral Gianfranco Coviello. The Seefernauflärereinsätze of Combined Task Force 440 were led by the commander of Combined Task Force 431, Rear Admiral John R. Ryan of the U.S. Navy.
The Bundeswehr participated from 18 June 1993 two ship units ( destroyers or frigates ), which were replaced approximately every 4 months. In use, among others, were the destroyer Mölders and Rommel and the frigate Niedersachsen, Karlsruhe, Lubeck, Cologne and Emden. From the military airfield in Sardinia from Decimomannu Operating as three maritime patrol aircraft type Breguet Atlantic involved with 60 soldiers and flew 695 missions. After the end of the mission in June 1996, a German frigate NATO Standing Naval Force Mediterranean in the Mediterranean and three maritime patrol aircraft of the Naval Air Wing 3 (MFG 3) at the airbase north woods until 1 October 1996 was held in a five-day readiness in the event of the revival of economic sanctions.
On 21 December 1995, there came upon exposure of the fast dinghy of Karlsruhe in a fatal accident when the boat tipped over and a 25 -year-old mate was clamped between the side walls of the dinghy of the frigate. He died on the flight to the mainland from his injuries.
Balance
During the operation Sharp Guard operations including the Maritime Guard ( NATO) and Sharp Fence ( WEU) were of 22 November 1992 to 18 June 1996:
- 74 192 ships queried
- 5,951 ships controls ( of which 262 by Germany )
- 1,480 ships were diverted for closer examination in an Italian port.
The armed forces involved recorded 19,699 ship days at sea, 7,151 flights from maritime patrol aircraft and 6,174 flights of NATO and French AWACS early warning aircraft.