MEDITERRANEAN SEA - The ships of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) conducted a port visit to Alexandria, Egypt from 2 to 4 December followed by a Passing Exercise with the Egyptian Navy on 5 December.

 

Although hampered by the weather conditions, the Passing Exercise consisted of a tactical manoeuvering exercise, helicopter operations, replenishment practise and enhanced interoperability between the NATO and Egyptian Navy ships. The frigate ENS Alexandria, the fast missile ship ENS Soliman Ezzat and the replenishment ship ENS Shalatin participated from the Egyptian navy.

 

Egypt is a NATO Partner nation and NATO ships regularly call on ports in Egypt as part of their routine patrols in the Mediterranean Sea. These port visits allow opportunities to conduct exchanges to support interoperability between the NATO ships and those of the Egyptian Navy.

 

"I conclude that the visit to Alexandria has been very successful,” said the Commander of SNMG2, Commodore Boudewijn Boots. "It struck me that our Egyptian colleagues prepared both our visit and our mutual exercises at sea very well. I look forward to further cooperation with the Egyptian Navy in the Mediterranean.”

 

Led by Commodore Boots of the Royal Netherlands Navy, SNMG2 consists of the flagship HNLMS De Ruyter, frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and Combat support ship ESPS Cantabria.