NATO’s new flagship arrives in Cagliari on first port visit

The Italian city of Cagliari was the port visit of choice for the new flagship of NATO’s standing mine counter measures group two.

Polish flagship, ORP Kontradmiral Xawery Czernicki (511), arrived in Cagliari on January 21 on its first port call since joining SNMCMG2.

The ship and crew arrived to Italy after completing a 10-day transit from Portsmouth, England.

While in Cagliari, SNMCMG2 Commander Aleksander Urbanowicz visited Rear Admiral C. A. Francesco Sollittoin Cagliari Military Base Commander (MARISUPLOG) to discuss SNMCMG2’s forthcoming mission in the Mediterranean.

The visit also provided the crew the opportunity to replenish supplies for the ship and take in the cultural sites of the port city. Czernicki will soon be joined with more allied ships, as the Group ramps up its deployment.

Commander Urbanowicz assumed command of SNMCMG2 on January 17, while Czernicki became the new flagship for the group.

SNMCMG2 is a multinational integrated force that provides a continuous maritime capability for operations and other activities in peacetime and in periods of crisis and conflict.