Spanish Navy minesweeper departs NATO’s mine counter-measures group

Spanish Navy minesweeper ESPS Tambre concluded its deployment to the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 2 and returned to Cartagena, Spain on March 28.

The Segura-class minesweeper spent two months integrated into the maritime group which was comprised of ships from different NATO member states.

During Tambre’s deployment, SNMCMG 2 conducted the Bulgarian-organized mine counter measure exercise Poseidon and Greek exercise Ariadne 16, which took place in the Gulf of Patras, Greece.

Most recently, the group visited Bar, Monte Negro, following Montenegro’s invitation to start accession talks to join the NATO Alliance.

ESPS Tambre is the third of six minesweepers built for the Spanish Navy by Navantia (formerly state-owned shipbuilder Bazan). The ship was delivered to the Navy in 2000. The 55-meter vessel is the second Spanish Navy ship to bear the name Tambre, the first one being a Bidasoa-class minesweeper which was decommissioned in 1973.

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