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NATO’s Standing Naval Forces and the Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters participate in Exercise NORTHERN COASTS 2015

SKAGEN, Denmark – Yesterday Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) began their participation in the German-led Exercise NORTHERN COASTS 2015 (NOCO 15). A team from the Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (COE – CSW) in Kiel, Germany will join the exercise, where 37 ships, 5 helicopters, and 3300 participants from 16 nations will participate.

NOCO 15 is a multinational exercise for NATO, Partnership for Peace and EU countries, which has been conducted annually since 2007 in the Baltic region.  Its aim is to enhance maritime capabilities in support of stabilization operations, conflict prevention and crisis management.

"This is a very demanding scenario running in a shallow waters environment, which will test our skills in crisis response, protection of maritime transport, counter-terrorism and counter-piracy, embargo enforcement and humanitarian assistance,” said Commander of SNMG1, Rear Admiral Alberto Correia, Portuguese Navy. "My Task Group, composed of 17 naval units, including mine-hunter and mine-sweeping vessels, is ready and looking forward to have the opportunity to extend their competences and abilities throughout the entire spectrum of war fighting intensity, as a ready maritime force.”

SNMG1 and SNMCMG1 conducted port visits to Skagen and Frederiskhavn respectively, prior to the commencement of NOCO 15.

NATO Standing Naval Forces participants in NORTHERN COASTS 2015 exercise:

Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) (Rear Admiral Alberto Correia, PRT N)

o   NRP D. Francisco de Almeida (Flagship)
o   HMCS Winnipeg
o   HNOLS Fridtjof Nansen
o   FS Commandant Blaison
 
Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group One (Commander Peter Bergen Henegouwen, RNLD N)

o   BNS Godetia (Flagship)
o   ENS Admiral Cowan
o   FGS Rappenau
o   HNOMS Hinnoey
o   HNLMS Schiedam
o   LVNS Talivaldis
o   HMS Grimsby

This annual exercise, which runs through September 24, off Denmark, Sweden and German coastal waters, provides excellent exercise opportunities, offering a wide span of training for maritime units and follows a fictitious scenario that helps to prepare all participants for potentially dangerous real-life situations.