North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Maritime Command
October 21, 2013
Standing NATO Maritime Group Ships arrive in Casablanca for Port Visit
Three NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) arrived in Casablanca for a scheduled port visit last weekend.
Under the command of Rear Admiral Eugenio Díaz del Río, Spanish Navy, the Group includes the Spanish flagship ESPS ALVARO DE BAZAN, FGS SACHSEN of the German Navy and TCG SALIRHEIS of the Turkish Navy.
“We are very happy to be visiting Casablanca,” said Díaz del Río. “Morocco is a valued partner in the Mediterranean Dialogue, and we appreciate every opportunity we have to engage with our Moroccan Navy counterparts. Working together in peace better enables us to jointly tackle crisis situations in a cohesive, rapid, and effective manner.”
During the visit, the NATO forces will exercise together with the Moroccan Navy, conducting personnel exchange visits in port. The port visit will also mark a welcome break for the crew of SNMG2, which has been operating at a very high tempo during the past few weeks.
In addition to supporting the counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (OAE), the Group has just completed participation in the major maritime exercise BRILLIANT MARINER, a multinational force of 21 ships and submarines that worked together to ‘stress test’ the crisis reaction capabilities of the NATO Response Force (NRF). Upon departing Casablanca, SNMG2 will return to the Mediterranean to resume support to OAE, actively deterring threats to maritime security and trade.
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