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NATO forces have completed a multinational maritime interoperability exercise off the coast of Turkey.
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Exercise Dynamic Monarch 2021 — the 11th iteration of NATO-sponsored live Submarine Escape and Rescue (SMER) exercises —wrapped up on Friday in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The exercise, led by the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO), was hosted by the Turkish Navy.
Training also involved assets and personnel from Italy, Greece, Spain, the UK and US, with Qatar, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia participating as observer nations.
As part of the exercise, a submarine laid over the seabed, simulating a sunken vessel, with personnel tasked with locating the lost submarine by search and rescue ships, aircraft and equipment.
Casualties were then transferred to TCG Alemdar, the search and rescue ship that provided first medical aid, including re-compression operations and evacuation of the casualties to the hospital ashore from on board.
Personnel also leveraged remote operated vehicles and deployed divers to provide air to the submarine, while placing a rescue chamber over the submarine and rescuing crew.
The training drills were repeated with different assets, including Italian Navy submarine ITS Todaro and Turkish Navy submarines TCG Canakkale and TCG Anafartalar.
The conclusion of Exercise Dynamic Monarch 2021 comes just a week after NATO Exercise Dynamic Mariner-21/Joint Warrior 21-2 began off the coast of the UK, testing the interoperability of the 12 participating nations.
Exercise Dynamic Mariner-21 and Joint Warrior 21-2 are designed to test NATO’s Response Force Maritime Component (NRF/M) and interoperability of the participating nations.
The exercise aims to enhance the capabilities and interoperability of NATO's quick response force by challenging the readiness and deployability of Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1), Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) and two of NATO’s Standing Forces.
In total, 20 surface ships as well as two submarines and seven maritime patrol aircraft from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the US are taking part in the exercise, which is co-ordinated by NATO Maritime Command and the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff at the Royal Navy.
[Related: NATO Exercise Dynamic Mariner and Joint Warrior begins off UK coast]
