NATO-forces exercise with French carrier strike group

French carrier strike group and its flagship, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, trained with the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) for four days last week.

Their combinedexercises ran between 19-22 March bringing together warships from Belgium,Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom on theeast coast of Denmark.

Naval exercises involving many ships from various countries are complex and challenging.

Regular trainingand exercises among NATO-forces and Allied nations are therefore important toenhance Alliance’s ability of naval war fighting and to maintain highreadiness.

The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its strike group left France in January for operations in the Mediterranean Sea.  The group has now deployed to the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

"The interaction with the French carrier strike group provides valuable opportunities for both the carrier strike group and us," said Commodore Yngve Skoglund, Royal Norwegian Navy, Commander of SNMG1

"The ability to train and develop our procedures, communication and interaction is ultimately what tie us together as allied forces. It enhances our readiness and our ability to fight war."

SNMG1 is one of four standing forces that make up the maritime component of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). This is part of the NATO Response Force (NRF).

Skoglund took command of SNMG1 from U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Edward Cashman on Dec. 9.

Photos provided by Marine Nationale, France