North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
July 16, 2013
NATO Ships Participate in Bulgarian Exercise BREEZE 13
Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) arrived Saturday in the port of Varna, Bulgaria, after participating in the Bulgarian Navy’s multinational exercise BREEZE 2013 last week.
During the ashore phase of the exercise, ESPS BLAS DE LEZO and TCG SALIHREIS participated in a series of workshops and conferences to prepare for the part of the exercise taking place at sea. The Group also hosted an official reception on board the NATO flagship for local authorities.
At sea, SNMG2 engaged with ships and aircraft from the Bulgarian Navy, as well as naval units from Greece, Turkey and the United States. Exercise BREEZE 13 helped NATO units sharpen their skills in the fields of anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.
“Exercises such as BREEZE 13 are crucial for maintaining the highest standards of interoperability between members of the Alliance,” said SNMG2’s Commander, Rear Admiral Diaz del Rio. “These training opportunities are long term investments to ensure that NATO naval forces remain capable to act swiftly and in a coordinated fashion when called upon.”
ESPS BLAS DE LEZO and TCG SALIHREIS are currently deployed within the framework of NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR.
Source