Standing NATO Maritime Group 2

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Template otherTemplate:Short description Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standing maritime immediate reaction force. SNMG2 consists of four to six destroyers and frigates. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability.

History

File:NRP Corte-Real (F332) and TCG Gelibolu (F-493) - 2008.jpg

Portuguese frigate NRP Corte Real and Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu, participating in SNMG-2 during Phoenix Express (PE 08).

Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED) was activated on 30 April 1992, at Naples, Italy. STANAVFORMED was the successor to the NATO Naval On-Call Force Mediterranean (NAVOCFORMED) – which had been periodically activated for more than 20 years.

During the 1990s, STANAVFORMED was heavily involved in Operation Maritime Monitor (July 1992 to November 1992), Operation Maritime Guard (November 1992 to June 1993) and Operation Sharp Guard (June 1993 to October 1996), the maritime embargo operations in the Adriatic Sea established to ensure compliance by Serbia and Montenegro with United Nations (UN) resolutions 713, 715, 787, 820 and 943. Between November 1992 and June 1996 some 74,000 ships were challenged, almost 6,000 were inspected at sea and more than 1,400 were diverted and inspected in port.

On 6 October 2001, STANAVFORMED deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Active Endeavour, NATO's maritime contribution to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction.

The force was re-designated Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in January 2005.

From June 2009 to August 2009 SNMG2 was deployed by NATO off the Somali coast to conduct Operation Allied Protector, to deter, defend and protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels against the threat of piracy and armed robbery, thereby allowing WFP to fulfill its mission of providing humanitarian aid.

Since August 2009, SNMG2 has been providing ships for NATO's Operation Ocean Shield anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.

In 2019, SNMG2 was tasked with patrol of the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. In 2021, SNMG2 took part in Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 in the Black Sea, co-hosted by the Ukrainian Navy and the United States Sixth Fleet.

Current ships

As of 3 January 2025, SNMG2 consists of:

  Previous flagship

  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year	Commander	Ship	Type	Part of task force	Flagship
2025	Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral H. Ilker Avci (January – ongoing)	Template:Flagicon TCG Kemalreis	Barbaros-class-class frigate	January – ongoing	January – ongoing

Previous task groups

As of 20 January 2024, SNMG2 consisted of:

  Previous flagship

  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year	Commander	Ship	Type	Part of task force	Flagship
2024	Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral Pasquale Esposito (January – July 1) Template:Flagicon Commodore Matthew Coates (July 1 – December 3) Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral H. Ilker Avci (December 3 – ongoing)	Template:Flagicon ITS Carlo Bergamini	Carlo Bergamini-class destroyer	January – n/a	January – n/a
		Template:Flagicon HMCS Charlottetown		July 1 – December 3	July 1 – December 3
		Template:Flagicon ESPS Cristóbal Colón	Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate	July 1 – December 3	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Yıldırım	Yavuz-class frigate frigate	July 1 – December 3	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Kemalreis	Barbaros-class-class frigate	December 3 – ongoing	December 3 – ongoing

As of 16 February 2023, SNMG2 consisted of:

  Previous flagship

  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year	Commander	Ship	Type	Part of task force	Flagship
2023	Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral Michael Scott Sciretta (January – July) Template:Flagicon Commodore Paul Stroude (July – December 7) Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral Pasquale Esposito (December 7 – n/a)	Template:Flagicon USS James E. Williams	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer	January – July	January – July
		Template:Flagicon ITS Carlo Margottini	Bergamini-class frigate	January – n/a	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Barbaros		January – n/a	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Psara		January – n/a	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HMCS Fredericton		January – n/a	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HMS Duncan	Type 45 Destroyer	July – December 7	July – December 7
		Template:Flagicon ITS Carlo Bergamini	Carlo Bergamini-class destroyer	December 7 – n/a	December 7 – n/a

In 2022, SNMG2 consisted of:

  Previous flagship

  Current flagship

Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force

Year	Commander	Ship	Type	Part of task force	Flagship
2022	Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral Mauro Panebianco (January – July) Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral Michael Scott Sciretta (1 July – July 2023)	Template:Flagicon ITS Carlo Margottini	Bergamini-class frigate	January – July	January – July
		Template:Flagicon TCG Göksu		January – April	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FGS Lübeck		January – 1 June	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ESPS Blas de Lezo		22 January – 30 June	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FS Auvergne		22 February – May	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HMS Trent		February – March	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Aegean		March –	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ITS Stromboli		March –	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HMCS Montréal		March – July	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HMS Diamond	Type 45 destroyer	March – April	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Barbaros		24 March – 30 May	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FS Alsace		4 April – May	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ESPS Cantabria	Replenishment oiler	10 May – 26 June	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FS Forbin		May – 16 June	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FGS Bonn		29 May – June	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Salihreis		30 May – July	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FS Provence		16 June – 31 July	n/a
		Template:Flagicon USS Forrest Sherman	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer	1 July – 13 December	1 July – 13 December
		Template:Flagicon TCG Kemalreis		1 July – September	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ITS Vulcano	Logistic support ship	14 July – 28 July	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Kountouriotis	Kortenaer-class frigate	20 July – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón	Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate	24 July – 6 September	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FS Languedoc		31 July – 6 September	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FGS Bonn		16 August – September	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ITS Antonio Marceglia	Bergamini-class frigate	21 August – September	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ESPS Cristóbal Colón	Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate	13 September – 30 November	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Gemlik	G-class frigate	September – December	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FS Provence		September – December	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ITS Alpino	Bergamini-class frigate	September – December	n/a
		Template:Flagicon USS James E. Williams	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer	13 December – July 2023	13 December – July 2023

In 2021, SNMG2 consisted of:

  Previous flagship

  Current flagship

Year	Commander	Ship	Type	Part of task force	Flagship
2021	Template:Flagicon Rear Admiral Stefano Russo	Template:Flagicon ESPS Cristóbal Colón	Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate	January – March	January – March
		Template:Flagicon Brandenburg	Brandenburg-class frigate	January – February	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Machitis	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	January – February	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Simeoforos Simitzopoulos	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	January – February	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Armatolos	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	January – February	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Plotarchis Maridakis	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	January – February	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Türkeli	Tuzla-class patrol boat	January – March May – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon Patiño	Replenishment oiler	January – February	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ITS Virginio Fasan	Carlo Bergamini-class frigate	February – March	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Kemalreis	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	February – May	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Kountouriotis	Kortenaer-class frigate	February – March	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Navmachos	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	February – March	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Xenos	Fast attack craft	February – March	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Tolmi	Asheville-class gunboat	February – May	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FGS Werra	Replenishment oiler	February – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Karaburn	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	March – May	n/a
		Template:Flagicon Regina Maria	Type 22 frigate	March – April	n/a
		Template:Flagicon Smeli	Frigate	March – April	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ESPS Méndez Núñez	Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate	April – August	April – August
		Template:Flagicon HS Kasos	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	May – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Aittitos	Osprey HSY-56A-class gunboat	May – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HS Degiannis	Fast attack craft	May – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FGS Lübeck	Bremen-class frigate	May – September	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Kumkale	Tuzla-class patrol boat	June – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon HMS Kent	Type 23 frigate	June – August	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ITS Virginio Fasan	Carlo Bergamini-class frigate	August – December	August – December
		Template:Flagicon ESPS Cantabria	Replenishment oiler	August – October	n/a
		Template:Flagicon TCG Gökçeada	Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate	September – December	n/a
		Template:Flagicon FGS Spessart	Rhön-class tanker	September – December	n/a
		Template:Flagicon ITS Carlo Margottini	Carlo Bergamini-class frigate	December – July 2022	December – July 2022

Organization

SNMG2 is a component of the NATO Response Force (NRF).

See also

• Standing NATO Maritime Group 1
• Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1
• Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2

External links

• Official web page