An old acquaintance comes to SNMG 1

The Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) has had another ship since 25 August. The Portuguese frigate Corte-Real is part of the permanent task force for the eighth time. Together with the flagship, the Canadian multi-purpose frigate Halifax, it ensures security in the North Atlantic, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Baltic Sea. Frigate Captain Luis Falcato commands 180 soldiers, including a helicopter crew and a diving team.

The frigate was built by the Vasco da Gama-class at the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft shipyard in Kiel. The ship, which displaces 2920 tonnes and is 116 metres long, has been at sea for the Portuguese Navy since 1992. Her main armament consists of eight Harpoon ship-to-ship missiles and a 100-millimetre gun. Sea Sparrow FKs and a Phalanx system on the hangar are used for self-defence.

Today's Standing NATO Maritime Group was established in 1968 in response to the threat posed by the former Soviet Union. At that time it was still known as the Standing Naval Force Atlantic (Stanavforlant). Another permanent maritime task force, the SNMG 2, is deployed in the Mediterranean. Due to numerous other missions and similar commitments, but also for financial and material reasons, NATO countries are allocating ships to the two groups less and less frequently. In addition to the Corte-Real the current commander of SNMG 1, Commodore Bradley Peats, only has the Canadian Halifax.

Text: mb; Photo: Marinha Portuguesa