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NATO forces have been monitoring Russian ships transiting through the Celtic Sea, English Channel and North Sea as part of a broader maritime situational awareness operation.
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The maritime awareness operation has been coordinated across numerous entities, including Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) as well as Allied Navies’ Maritime Operations Centres. According to NATO, the combined effort has created a common situational snapshot of the region.
“Routinely monitoring areas and activities of interest to the maritime security of Alliance Nations is an important part of NATO’s responsibilities,” Commander, Surface Forces NATO German Navy Rear Admiral Stefan Pauly said.
“It creates overall maritime awareness and contributes to the safety of navigation for the international maritime community.”
The SNMG1, NATO’s Very High Readiness Task Group, comprises of ships from the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom and is currently under the command of Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Jeanette Morang.
While SNMG1 has been monitoring Russian ship movements near Britain, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) has been monitoring Russian naval movements in the Mediterranean to gain a comprehensive picture of naval activities in the region.
According to NATO, SNMG2 collaborates intimately with Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and Allied national headquarters.
Comprised of ships from the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the UK, the group is under the command of US Navy Rear Admiral Scott Sciretta.
While monitoring Russian movements, NATO has not reported any aggressive behaviour.
[Related: US approves NATO request for precision guided missiles]
