AEGEAN SEA - On the evening of 06th March 2016 Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) MOUNTS BAY was assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2) for the activities in the Aegean Sea.

MOUNTS BAY is a landing ship dock auxiliary nearly 580 feet in length, capable of carrying a large number of personnel and helicopters up to a size of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Presently an AW-159 „Wildcat" is embarked aboard MOUNTS BAY to assist the reconnaissance, monitoring and surveillance activities of the group. At the moment SNMG2 consists of the German flagship FGS BONN, the Canadian frigate HMCS FREDERICTON, the Hellenic frigate HS FSALAMIS, the Turkish frigate TCG BARBAROS and the British landing ship dock (auxiliary) RFA MOUNTS BAY. Other national contributions recently announced are also expected to join SNMG2’s efforts.

The units of SNMG2 are conducting reconnaissance, monitoring and surveillance and to share information with Turkish and Greek authorities and the European Union’s border agency FRONTEX to assist in international efforts to counter human trafficking and criminal networks in the region.