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Norway Takes Command from Spain of Standing NATO Maritime Group One
LA CORUÑA, Spain – Commodore (Norwegian Navy) Ole Morten Sandquist took command of Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) 14 January, during a ceremony at La Coruña harbour, which was presided over by Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone (Royal Navy), Commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command.
Commodore Sandquist received the command from Rear Admiral (Spanish Navy) José Enrique Delgado Roig (Spanish Navy).
In attendance were the crews from ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón, SNMG1 last Flag Ship, ESPS Cantabria and HNOMS Roald Amundsen, next SNMG1 Flag Ship as well as the international staff members and local civilian and military authorities.
During the Spanish period of command, SNMG1 has participated in several major multinational exercises like COLD RESPONSE, JOINT WARRIOR, BALTOPS, JOINT WARRIOR NORTHERN COAST AND NOBLE MARINER, gained an invaluable Maritime Situational Awareness in the Northern Atlantic and Baltic Sea and contributed to provide conventional deterrence at sea and assurance to NATO countries in the Alliance area of interest, while visiting more than forty ports on to 16 countries along the way.
The Group will maintain its high state of readiness and capabilities through continued investment in training and exercises with other NATO and partner nations to deliver to NATOS´s Maritime Command an operational and capable Force always ready to deploy.
SNMG1 is one of the NATO’s four Standing Naval Maritime Groups, multinational integrated forces that project a constant and visible reminder of the Alliance’s solidarity and cohesion on the world’s seaways. This Force provides NATO a continuous maritime capability for operations and other activities in peacetime and periods of crisis and conflicts. An immediate maritime response to an emerging crisis or maritime operational requirement may be provided by the Standing Naval Force (SNF) under the command of the Allied Maritime Command, based in Northwood, UK.