Standing NATO Maritime Group 2

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2
Active 1992–present
Allegiance North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Commanders
Current
commander		 Commodore Paul Stroude, Royal Navy

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standing maritime immediate reaction force. SNMG2 consists of four to six destroyers and frigates. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability.

History

Portuguese frigate NRP Corte Real and Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu, participating in SNMG-2 during Phoenix Express (PE 08).

Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED) was activated on 30 April 1992, at Naples, Italy. STANAVFORMED was the successor to the NATO Naval On-Call Force Mediterranean (NAVOCFORMED) – which had been periodically activated for more than 20 years.

During the 1990s, STANAVFORMED was heavily involved in Operation Maritime Monitor (July 1992 to November 1992), Operation Maritime Guard (November 1992 to June 1993) and Operation Sharp Guard (June 1993 to October 1996), the maritime embargo operations in the Adriatic Sea established to ensure compliance by Serbia and Montenegro with United Nations (UN) resolutions 713, 715, 787, 820 and 943. Between November 1992 and June 1996 some 74,000 ships were challenged, almost 6,000 were inspected at sea and more than 1,400 were diverted and inspected in port.

On 6 October 2001, STANAVFORMED deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Active Endeavour, NATO's maritime contribution to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction.

The force was re-designated Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in January 2005.

From June 2009 to August 2009 SNMG2 was deployed by NATO off the Somali coast to conduct Operation Allied Protector, to deter, defend and protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels against the threat of piracy and armed robbery, thereby allowing WFP to fulfill its mission of providing humanitarian aid.

Since August 2009, SNMG2 has been providing ships for NATO's Operation Ocean Shield anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.

In 2019, SNMG2 was tasked with patrol of the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. In 2021, SNMG2 took part in Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 in the Black Sea, co-hosted by the Ukrainian Navy and the United States Sixth Fleet.

Current ships

As of 16 February 2023, SNMG2 consists of:

  Previous flagship
  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year Commander Ship Type Part of task force Flagship
2023
Rear Admiral
Michael Scott Sciretta
(January – July)

Commodore
Paul Stroude
(July – ongoing) 		USS James E. Williams Arleigh Burke-class destroyer January – July January – July
ITS Carlo Margottini Bergamini-class frigate January – ongoing n/a
TCG Barbaros Barbaros-class frigate January – ongoing n/a
HS Psara Hydra-class frigate January – ongoing n/a
HMCS Fredericton Halifax-class frigate January – ongoing n/a

HMS Duncan

Type 45 Destroyer July – ongoing July – ongoing

Previous task groups

In 2022, SNMG2 consisted of:

  Previous flagship
  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year Commander Ship Type Part of task force Flagship
2022
Rear Admiral
Mauro Panebianco
(January – July)

Rear Admiral
Michael Scott Sciretta
(July 1 – July 2023) 		ITS Carlo Margottini Bergamini-class frigate January – July January – July
TCG Göksu Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate January – April n/a
FGS Lübeck Bremen-class frigate January – June 1 n/a
ESPS Blas de Lezo Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate January 22 – June 30 n/a
FS Auvergne Aquitaine-class frigate February 22 – May n/a
HMS Trent River-class offshore patrol vessel February – March n/a
HS Aegean Elli-class frigate March – n/a
ITS Stromboli Stromboli-class replenishment oiler March – n/a
HMCS Montréal Halifax-class frigate March – July n/a
HMS Diamond Type 45 destroyer March – April n/a
TCG Barbaros Barbaros-class frigate March 24 – May 30 n/a
FS Alsace Aquitaine-class frigate April 4 – May n/a
ESPS Cantabria Replenishment oiler May 10 – June 26 n/a
FS Forbin Horizon-class frigate May – June 16 n/a
FGS Bonn Berlin-class replenishment ship May 29 – June n/a
TCG Salihreis Barbaros-class frigate May 30 – July n/a
FS Provence Aquitaine-class frigate June 16 – July 31 n/a
USS Forrest Sherman Arleigh Burke-class destroyer July 1 – December 13 July 1 – December 13
TCG Kemalreis Barbaros-class frigate July 1 – September n/a
ITS Vulcano Logistic support ship July 14 – July 28 n/a
HS Kountouriotis Kortenaer-class frigate July 20 – August n/a
ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate July 24 – September 6 n/a
FS Languedoc Aquitaine-class frigate July 31 – September 6 n/a
FGS Bonn Berlin-class replenishment ship August 16 – September n/a
ITS Antonio Marceglia Bergamini-class frigate August 21 – September n/a
ESPS Cristóbal Colón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate September 13 – November 30 n/a
TCG Gemlik G-class frigate September – December n/a
FS Provence Aquitaine-class frigate September – December n/a
ITS Alpino Bergamini-class frigate September – December n/a
USS James E. Williams Arleigh Burke-class destroyer December 13 – July 2023 December 13 – July 2023

In 2021, SNMG2 consisted of:

  Was a flagship at any time during its deployment
Year Commander Ship Type Part of task force Flagship
2021
Rear Admiral
Stefano Russo 		ESPS Cristóbal Colón Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate January – March January – March
Brandenburg Brandenburg-class frigate January – February n/a
HS Machitis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
HS Simeoforos Simitzopoulos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
HS Armatolos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
HS Plotarchis Maridakis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat January – February n/a
TCG Türkeli Tuzla-class patrol boat January – March
May – August 		n/a
Patiño Replenishment oiler January – February n/a
ITS Virginio Fasan Carlo Bergamini-class frigate February – March n/a
TCG Kemalreis Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat February – May n/a
HS Kountouriotis Kortenaer-class frigate February – March n/a
HS Navmachos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat February – March n/a
HS Xenos Fast attack craft February – March n/a
HS Tolmi Asheville-class gunboat February – May n/a
FGS Werra Replenishment oiler February – August n/a
TCG Karaburn Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat March – May n/a
Regina Maria Type 22 frigate March – April n/a
Smeli Frigate March – April n/a
ESPS Méndez Núñez Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate April – August April – August
HS Kasos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat May – August n/a
HS Aittitos Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat May – August n/a
HS Degiannis Fast attack craft May – August n/a
FGS Lübeck Bremen-class frigate May – September n/a
TCG Kumkale Tuzla-class patrol boat June – August n/a
HMS Kent Type 23 frigate June – August n/a
ITS Virginio Fasan Carlo Bergamini-class frigate August – December August – December
ESPS Cantabria Replenishment oiler August – October n/a
TCG Gökçeada Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate September – December n/a
FGS Spessart Rhön-class tanker September – December n/a
ITS Carlo Margottini Carlo Bergamini-class frigate December – July 2022 December – July 2022

Organization

SNMG2 is a component of the NATO Response Force (NRF).

See also