IONIAN SEA, Italy - NATO’s Submarine Warfare Exercise DYNAMIC MANTA 2019 (DYMA 19) began Monday, Feb. 25, 2019 off the Sicilian coast, with ships, submarines, and aircraft and personnel from 10 Allied nations converging on the Central Mediterranean Sea for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare training.

 

Submarines from Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, under the control of NATO Submarine Command (COMSUBNATO), are joining nine surface ships from the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, and Greece. As host nation, Italy will provide support in Catania Harbour, the Navy Helicopter Base in Catania and Naval Air Station Sigonella, as well as logistic support (refuelling operations, medical assistance and personnel accommodation) in Augusta Naval Base.

 

"NATO’s annual anti-submarine-warfare exercise DYNAMIC MANTA remains one of the most challenging exercises and an excellent opportunity for NATO nations’ naval forces to practice and evaluate their Anti-Submarine skillset in a challenging environment,” said Rear Admiral Andrew Lennon, NATO Submarines Commander. "This exercise is a unique opportunity to enhance naval forces’ war fighting skills in all three dimensions of Anti-Submarine-Warfare in a multinational and multi-threat environment. We appreciate the outstanding host nation support of the Italian Navy that is required to make this challenging and effective exercise happen.”

 

To support the simulated multi-threat environment, a total of six Maritime Patrol Aircraft and 2 Helicopters from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States will operate from Sigonella Air Base and from the Italian Navy’s Helicopter base in Catania, under the control of personnel from NATO Maritime Air Command (COMMARAIRNATO).

 

The aim of this exercise is to provide all participants with complex and challenging warfare training to enhance their interoperability and proficiency in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare skills.

 

Exercise DYNAMIC MANTA-19 will be supported by an In-Stride Debriefing Team (IDT) who will produce an analysis of the trainings from submitted highlights signals. The team will analyse anti-submarine warfare events real time and will provide debriefs to ships, submarines and aircrews. It allows crew to accelerate their process, make adjustments, improve the performance and boost the anti-submarine warfare readiness. IDT team is composed of ASW experts and will perform its mission from Sigonella Air Base.

 

Each surface ship will have the opportunity to conduct a variety of submarine warfare operations. The submarines will take turns hunting and being hunted, closely coordinating their efforts with the air and surface participants.