NATO Forces in the Mediterraenan for Exercise PROUD MANTA 12

[Lex]

Nisida, Naples 03 Feb 2012 – From 14-26 February 2012, eleven NATO nations will provide 5 submarines, 15 aircraft (including shore and ship based helos) and 12 surface ships (including 2 Auxiliary ships from Italy and 1 NATO Research Vessel) to take part in PROUD MANTA 12, NATO's largest Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise.

The exercise will take place in the Ionian Sea to the southeast of Sicily.  Forces are provided by Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Five submarines from France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey are scheduled to join the exercise.  Each submarine will have the opportunity to conduct a variety of submarine operations, including being both a hunter and the hunted.  NATO surface ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (with a Dutch flagship, German and Canadian frigates and a German Oiler), a French destroyer, an Italian destroyer and frigate, two Italian auxiliary ships, a US cruiser and destroyer and a NATO research vessel will participate in the exercise.  The exercise will demonstrate NATO's determination to maintain proficiency and improve interoperability in coordinated anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, coastal surveillance and other maritime operations using a multi-national force of ships, submarines and aircraft.  Furthermore it will aim to provide operational training in potential NRF tasks/roles and missions as well as exercising the procedures for current or future operations. The units will also be exercised in defence against terrorism operations.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft and ASW Helicopters will operate from Air Bases in Sicily, and are contributed by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom and The United States.  Over 100 air missions are planned, and on average this will result in a crew briefing every three hours, day and night, throughout the exercise.  The exercise will be controlled from the co-located multi-national Headquarters of the Commander Submarines Allied Naval Forces South and the Commander Maritime Air Naples located in Naples, Italy.

This edition of the PROUD MANTA series follows on from the previous NOBLE MANTA series.  It constitutes NATO's main opportunity to train possible NRF forces in ASW and other maritime operations.  Both the overall aims of the exercise and the focus on ASW remain consistent through the years, while the relative emphasis among other maritime tasks is adjusted each year to better align with current training requirements.  This year PROUD MANTA will concentrate on coordinated ASW but with greater emphasis on simultaneous execution of other current and future NRF tasks to better train across the multimission capabilities of NATO's maritime forces.

The MANTA Series also provides a unique opportunity and operational environment for operational experimentation with new technology and tactics.  Operational experimentation helps to determine how these new tools should be or could be used in actual operations and to assess the actual impact or improvement of warfighting capability, both key parts of the transition from the laboratory to the fleet.  This year's MANTA will host for the first time the NURC research vessel NRV ALLIANCE which is the quietest purpose-built research vessel in its class, and the only ship jointly owned by all NATO nations. NURC will conduct three experiments: detection and tracking using AUVs; testing NURC-developed software for real time performance prediction; and monitoring the sea test area with glider to better understand the presence and behaviour of marine life.

Pressrelease by Allied Maritime Command Naples,
03 Feb 2012