Standing NATO Maritime Group 2
The Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 ( SNMG 2) is the constant maritime task force of NATO in the Mediterranean.
History
The SNMG 2 was founded in 1969 as Naval On-Call Force for the Mediterranean ( NAVOCFORMED ) and the Commander Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe ( COMNAVSOUTH ) was assumed. This association was formed after the model of the Standing Naval Force Atlantic ( STANAVFORLANT / SNFL ) of the navies of various countries for use in the Mediterranean. However, unlike the STANAVFORLANT he was not always active, but was only activated for exercises and operations, as it says the name of on-call force. The NAVOCFORMED served, among others, the demonstration of NATO alliance solidarity with the very active in the Mediterranean Sea Soviet navy. As during the First Gulf War in 1987, many NATO units were withdrawn from the Mediterranean, strengthened the German Navy for the first time NAVOCFORMED and since the permanent participants.
During the Second Gulf War in 1990-1991 the NAVOCFORMED was permanently activated and used for maritime surveillance in the Mediterranean. During this time it was decided to convert it into a permanent association. This happened on April 30, 1992 Renamed Standing Naval Force Mediterranean ( STANAVFORMED / SNFM ). On 1 January 2005, the association was briefly renamed the Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group 2 before it got its current, shorter name in 2006.
Concept
The SNMG 2 is subordinate to the NATO Maritime Component Command Naples in Naples, Italy and is part of the NATO Response Force.
The group standard consisting of eight to ten ships are constantly units of the German Navy, the Dutch Navy, the Royal Navy, Greek Navy, Italian Navy, Turkish Navy, the Spanish Navy and the United States Navy. At times, other NATO countries participate in the association.
Exercises are held annually, which will strengthen especially multinational cooperation.
Inserts
From 1992 SNFM was used as part of the international embargo against Yugoslavia. She took part in the operations Maritime Monitor and the Maritime Guard and then some together with the Standing Naval Forces Atlantic and the Western European Union Naval Force in the NATO / WEU Operation Sharp Guard.
During the Kosovo war, the SNFM was involved in Operation Allied Force. Units of SNMG 2 is currently turned off regularly for Operation Active Endeavour in the fight against terrorism in the Mediterranean.
From October to December 2008 took the ships SNMG 2 part in Operation Allied Provider against piracy off the Somali coast. This included the protection of convoys of the World Food Programme (WFP).
From July 2009 to replace their units as part of Operation Ocean Shield forces of SNMG 1, which contributed to the Operation Allied Protector to protect shipping lanes off the Horn of Africa.