"Sea Shield 2019": Largest NATO exercise in the Black Sea, 5-13 April

Romanian Naval Forces organize, on 5-13 April, the largest multinational naval exercise - “Sea Shield 19” - in the territorial waters of Romania and international waters of the Black Sea.

There are 14 Romanian military ships and six military ships from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey, with a total of about 2,200 troops, who will practice joint drills against underwater, surface and air threats, adapted to typology of security threats in the Black Sea region.

Exercise scenario is fictitious and follows planning and execution of a Crisis Response Operation (CRO) under the mandate of a United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) in the context of a security environment characterized by symmetrical and asymmetric threats, a communiqué from Romanian Ministry of Defense (MApN) states.

Romanian Naval Forces, as a host, have an impressive force structure in the "Sea Shield 19" Exercise. Under leadership and coordination of the Fleet Command, there will be two frigates, two corvettes, two minesweepers, two missile-boats, two battleships, three tugboats, a detachment of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers, specialized in fight against underwater threats, two mobile rocket launch deployments and other support vessels, as well as dedicated specialized structures, 243 Radioelectronic and Observation Brigade, Maritime Hydrographic Directorate, 110 Communication and IT Battalion, Center for Information Technology and Cybernetics to provide specific support from the shore.

Romanian Air Force provides MIG 21 Lancer and F-16 defense against air threats, and US and Turkish naval forces will operate with two maritime patrol aircraft.

Romanian Territorial Forces participate with a detachment from the "Mărășești" Brigade 9, for protection of terrestrial communications routes and the port of Constanța.

For the "Sea Shield 19", NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) has nominated Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), which operates in the Black Sea since March 28, 2019, comprising vessels from Bulgaria, Canada, the Netherlands, Romania and Turkey. In addition, Greece and Bulgaria each have one combat ship in the exercise.

Foreign military ships are due to enter the port of Constanța on Saturday April 6, 2019, for the official opening of “Sea Shield 19” Exercise, at Passenger Terminal, in the presence of Chief of Romanian Naval Forces Staff, Vice-Admiral Alexandru Mîrșu.

During the two days stop-over in Constanța port, organizers have scheduled official visits and meetings to discuss organizational details for sea-planned drills.

All participating ships will be out at sea on Monday, April 8, for a week in which they will synchronize their efforts to meet the objectives of “Sea Shield 19” multinational exercise.

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"Sea Shield 19" overlaps two important anniversaries of the Euro-Atlantic community in April. First marks the 70th anniversary since establishment of NATO in April 1949, when 12 states from Western Europe and North America formed the political-military alliance by signing the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington with a view to maintaining peace and defending their own independence, through political solidarity and a corresponding defensive military force, capable of discouraging and, if necessary, responding to all forms of possible aggression against itself or its Member States, under Article 5 of Treaty on Collective Defense, based on the principle of "An attack on one of the Allies is an attack against all". Second marks the 15th anniversary since Romania became NATO Member State.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei