Spanish minehunter joins EUROMARFOR for drills

After taking part in the advanced multinational mine countermeasures (MCM) exercise Spanish Minex-16, minehunter Duero (M-35) integrated into the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR) to take part in the Italian Minex-16 and the maritime security exercise MCE-16 in Tunisian waters.

The Spanish M-35, along with the Portuguese Joao Roby, the Italian Borsini and the Tunisian Navy Himilcon, conducted a maritime security exercise in order to enhance the interoperability between the European Maritime Group and Tunisian Navy warships.

The exercises included training on asymmetric warfare, damage control, communications, SAR (search & rescue), VBSS (visit, board, search & seizure), awareness of the maritime domain and firing drills.

EUROMARFOR is a non-standing force capable of conducting ad hoc naval, air and amphibious operations. Depending on the mission entrusted, the Task Force is shaped accordingly.

It can also operate integrated into other multinational groups. Since its activation in 1995 by Spain, France, Portugal and Italy, EUROMARFOR has participated in many international exercises and missions like the counter-piracy Operation Atalanta in the Indian Ocean or UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).

Minehunter Duero is the fifth Segura-class minehunter, launched in 2003 and commissioned on July 5, 2004. Apart from deployments in and around the Spanish littoral, the vessel has also participated in several international deployments integrated into the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG-2).