The minesweeper "Vice Admiral Constantin Balescu" left for the Mediterranean Sea
![The minesweeper "Vice Admiral Constantin Balescu" left for the Mediterranean Sea](https://www.romania-actualitati.ro/img.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.romania-actualitati.ro%2Fuploads%2Fmodules%2Fnews%2F0%2F2024%2F6%2F20%2F194891%2F1718890504719b8292.jpg&w=960&h=540&c=1)
Articol de Sorin Cealera, Constanța, 20 Iunie 2024, 16:34
The mine and net destroyer "Vice Admiral Constantin Balescu" left this morning from the military port of Constanta to the Mediterranean Sea to join NATO's Standing Naval Maritime Mine Countermeasures Group.
Romania will take command of the group for the second time in four years at a ceremony in Greece next week. The Romanian Naval Forces will take command of the naval grouping for a period of six months through Commander Sebastian Barote - deputy commander of the 146th Mine-Defensive Vessels Division.
Sebastian Barote: The ship's mission has, as the name of the group is, as its main purpose the fight against mines, surveillance of maritime communication routes, surveillance of critical infrastructure, raising the level of interoperability with partner countries, conducting and planning exercises in accordance with NATO procedures and participating in exercises with member countries.
Alongside Commander Sebastian Barote, the Group's staff will be made up of nine other Romanian soldiers and three officers from partner naval forces from Italy, Spain and Turkey.
Translated by: Radu Matei