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Minister of Defence presented mission medals to sailors who served in NATO unit

10. January 2023 - 9:55
Minister of Defence presented mission medals to sailors who served in NATO unit
Minister of Defence presented mission medals to sailors who served in NATO unit

Today, at the Mine Harbour, Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur presented medals for international military operations to the staff members and commander of Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One.

“Last year was a very special year because Estonian Navy officer Commander Ott Laanemets served as the commander of the NATO Mine Counter Measures Group, who, together with a staff consisting of Estonian sailors, led the group throughout the year,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.

A year of service in the staff of Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One provided the sailors with experience in international cooperation, while Latvian and German staff ships sailed in the Väinameri Sea and the Gulf of Riga, as well as in the Baltic and North Seas.

Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in the spring of last year, the readiness of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force was raised. As a result, the participation of the Estonian Navy in Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One was changed into an international military operation, i.e. a NATO collective defence operation.

“This significant change certainly provided valuable new experiences for both the units and the general organisation of work,” Pevkur added.

“2022 was an active year beyond expectations for the whole of NATO and the Mine Counter Measures Group. After the start of the war in Ukraine, part of the NATO Response Force was activated, and the Mine Counter Measures Group became the target group in Operation Brilliant Shield. Although all four permanent naval units are, as the name suggests, permanently at sea and ready, it was interesting to observe the raising of the rest of NATO’s readiness and the coupling of our mine countermeasures group to it,” said Commander Ott Laanemets, Commander of Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One.

Since 2005, Estonia has contributed to Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One with both staff ships and minehunters and manned the positions of unit commander and staff. The minehunter contributes to the unit annually, just last Thursday the minehunter EML Admiral Cowan of the Estonian Navy went to sea with this task. The commander and staff have contributed on one previous occasion, in 2016-2017.

As one of the four groups of ships under the command of NATO Naval Command, Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) is a readiness unit that provides mine countermeasures expertise and is tasked with being among the first rapid responders. The group consists mainly of ships with allied mine countermeasures capabilities and participates in exercises and large-scale exercises held by various countries.

Photos: NATO Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One staff RSO Medal Ceremony

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