Spanish frigate F-101 ‘Álvaro de Bazán’ carried out a medical evacuation from US ‘USS Porter’ during the exercise ‘Sea Breeze-20) in the Black Sea.
‘Sea Hawk’ helicopter SH-60B flew from ‘Álvaro de Bazán’ to ‘USS Porter’ to handle the medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and then to Odessa in Ucrania; the wounded has been finally looked after at the hospital.
Frigate F-101, commanding ship of the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) takes part in a multinational exercise including ships and airships from several allied countries. The ‘USS Porter’, a Class ‘Arleigh Burke’ US destroyer based in Rota is also participating.
This vital support shows the good interoperability among allied naval units which are frequently participating on exercises.
SNMG2
NATO Standing Naval Forces (SNFs), including the Standing NATO Maritime Groups (SNMGs) and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures (SNMCMGs), are the forces in charge of providing NATO with a standing maritime presence.
They act as the main element for the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF-M) of the Alliance, being the first forces to be activated, even before a crisis is declared.
The main areas of operation are the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Baltic, the Northern Flank and the Southern Corridor (from the Strait of Hormuz to the Suez Canal, including the coast of Somalia).
FRIGATE ÁLVARO DE BAZÁN F-101
The F-101 is currently the commanding ship of the SNMG-2, which will be led by Spain all next year. The F-101 is part of the 31st Escort Squadron, home based in Ferrol, is commanded by frógate captain Ricardo Gómez Delgado.
During its integration in the SNMG-2 will reach the ports in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Greece, Algeria, France and Turkey where it will be taken over by frigate F-105 ‘Cristóbal Colón’, also belonging to 31st Escort Squadron.