The Italian Navy patrol vessel ITS Borsini (P491) departed from Catania, Italy, and is being supported by a submarine from Portugal. Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPAs) from Canada, Italy, and Spain, and Airborne Early Warning units from Greece and Turkey will provide air support to the patrols.
The third focused patrol of the year in the Western Mediterranean includes a port visit to Algiers, Algeria, and will be followed by a passing exercise to develop interoperability skills between participating units of NATO and Algeria. Algeria is one of NATO's partner Nations via the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) framework.
Alliance maritime activities make an important contribution to NATO's policy of outreach through partnerships, dialogue, and cooperation. These relationships offer valuable opportunities to prevent conflicts and develop regional security and stability through dialogue, confidence building, and increased transparency.
NATO's Operation Sea Guardian remains one of the most important tools for NATO to increase cooperation and interoperability with Allies and Partner nations in the Mediterranean Sea and to enhance capacity building in the frame of maritime security. These focused patrols contribute to maintain maritime situational awareness, to deter terrorism and mitigate the risk of other threats to security in the Mediterranean Sea.
NATO's Operation Sea Guardian is also a fusion of information to create a comprehensive picture of daily activities in the Mediterranean, and NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood serves as the hub of maritime security information sharing for the Alliance.