NATO Operation Sea Guardian concludes security patrols in Mediterranean

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NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian (OSG) has concluded maritime security patrols in the Western Mediterranean Sea after two weeks at sea.

NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) said the patrols finished on 30 June after the OSG’s flagship Spanish frigate ESPS Reina Sofia led the NATO Task Group, joined by a submarine from Italy and maritime patrol aircraft and airborne early warning aircraft from Canada, Portugal and Spain.

Over two weeks, the OSG Task Group conducted 14 days of focused security patrols at sea to deter and identify potential illicit maritime activity.

“ESPS Reina Sofia, her ship company and Task Group are proud of contributing to maritime security as a team effort,” Said Commander Juan Jose Izquierdo, Spanish Navy, Commander Task Force. “This Focused Patrol made the Mediterranean Sea an even more secure environment for our maritime communities, making NATO Allies stronger”.

This iteration of focused security patrols concluded with a port visit to Tangiers, Morocco, and an at-sea passing exercise with the Moroccan Navy. In Tangiers, Commander Izquierdo met with Moroccan local authorities. On completion, the crew of ESPS Reina Sofia and Moroccan navy personnel held coordination meetings to coordinate the passing exercise, an event to deepen the good relationships and collaboration between both navies.

Operation Sea Guardian (OSG) is a standing Maritime Security Operation working with Mediterranean stakeholders to deter terrorism and mitigate the risk of other threats to security in the Mediterranean Sea.

It helps facilitate a fusion of information to create a comprehensive picture of daily activities in the Mediterranean via Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) activities and six focused security patrols each year. This includes monitoring sea lines of communication (SLOCs), localized traffic patterns in international waters outside ports of interest in the Mediterranean Sea, and coordination with national navies to enable timely decision making and address potential maritime security challenges, MARCOM concluded.