NATO Maritime Command yesterday, January 24 shared pictures of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Groups One as it departed the German Naval Base Kiel.
The Group was assembled in Kiel for the change of command ceremony where the German Navy Commander Martin Schwarz replaced his Royal Netherlands Navy colleague, Commander Peter A.J. Bergen Henegouwen as commander of SNMCMG1.
During the same ceremony which took place January 21, the German Elbe-class replenishment/tender ship FGS Donau became the flagship of the group.
Apart from German ships the SNMCMG1 will be constituted by ships and personnel from UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark.
Due to a changed security situation in the Mediterranean in the recent period, the standard mine countermeasure duties of the group have been broadened to encompass search and rescue operations, as well as humanitarian and anti-terror operations.
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Images: Wo Artigues (HQ MARCOM)