More than 700 soldiers from six NATO countries are trained in the Black Sea, under the Romanian Naval Forces command. The exercises will include the participation of the FNR along with forces from France, Greece, Spain, the US and Turkey. Poseidon 21 is part of NATO’s Program of Combined Joint Enhanced Training to enhance security on its southeastern European flank and ensure a continued presence in the region.
The exercises come after last month’s USS Porter’s movement, a guided-missile destroyer, to join the USS Donald Cook and a refuelling ship, the USNS Laramie, in the US’s largest deployment naval forces to the Black Sea since 2017.
Bulgaria will miss the NATO exercises Poseidon 21 in the Black Sea due to crew members’ infection with coronavirus.
The Constanta Fleet Command conducts planned training activities at sea, on land and in the air. Forces and means from France, Greece, Romania, Spain, the United States and Turkey are integrated. “Poseidon 21” aims to make optimal use of NATO capabilities to strengthen the Alliance’s rapid response capability in the context of continuous changes in the regional security environment.
On behalf of the Romanian Naval Forces, the minesweeper and nets “Vice Admiral Constantin Bălescu”, the hydrographic maritime ship “Capt. Alexandru Cătuneanu”, the fast diving ship “Venus”, the port and rowing tugs “Vârtosul” and “ The Warrior ”, two EOD diving detachments, river divers and rescue divers, as well as a Puma Naval helicopter are deployed. Romania is also represented in Exercise “Poseidon 21” by 4 MIG-21 Lancer aircraft and an IAR 330 MEDEVAC helicopter of the Air Force, an infantry platoon from the 9th Brigade “Marasesti” subordinated to the Land Forces, as well as a patrol ship and Coast Guard intervention, a pyrotechnic intervention truck and an ambulance from the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Allied foreign soldiers are present with a remote-controlled underwater robot (Turkey), EOD divers (USA) and “Rafale” combat aircraft (France), Eurofighter Typhoon ”(Spain), and NATO Allied Command approved the participation in the NATO-based Permanent Naval Mine Action Group SNMCMG-2 (Standing NATO Maritime Counter-Measures Group), which consists of the ship-commander. TCG “Sokullu Mehmet Pasha” (Turkey), sea dragons “Lieutenant Lupu Dinescu” (Romania) and BGS “Priboy” (Bulgaria) and mine miners ESPS “Tajo” (Spain) and TCG “Ayvalik” (Turkey) ).
The scenario of the exercise includes joint sequences for the fight against underwater threats, in which NATO operational procedures for hydrographic research, identification and neutralization of sea mines and improvised explosive devices, combined sequences for the fight against enemy aviation, surface ships and submarines, as well as manoeuvres to tow a damaged ship, resupply at sea and provide first aid. In the terrestrial area, an interdepartmental sequence is planned by applying an operational action procedure familiar to MApN-MAI for the situation of an explosion at a hydro-technical construction in the area of the Romanian coast.
