Operation Active Endeavour
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2008) |
Operation Active Endeavour | |
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Part of the Mediterranean, Strait of Gibraltar | |
Result | Over 128,000 ships monitored (as of 2016[update]); 172 ships boarded; 488 escorted ships (until May 2004); Indirect tightened control of black market trafficking lines in the Mediterranean; The rescue of civilians on various stricken oil rigs and sinking ships[2] |
- Belgium
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Bulgaria (from 2004)
- Estonia (from 2004)
- Latvia (from 2004)
- Lithuania (from 2004)
- Romania (from 2004)
- Slovakia (from 2004)
- Slovenia (from 2004)
- Albania (from 2009)
- Croatia (from 2009)
Non-NATO:
Operation Active Endeavour was a
History
The operation began on 4 October 2001 as one of the eight NATO responses to the
On 4 February 2003, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) decided to extend Operation Active Endeavour to include escorting non-military ships traveling through the Strait of Gibraltar to maintain security in the area and to secure the safe transit of designated Allied ships.
On 29 April 2003, Task Force Endeavour began boarding operations following a NAC decision to enhance the effectiveness of the current naval operation against suspected terrorist activities in the Mediterranean. The boarding operations were conducted in accordance with the rules of international law and were of a compliant nature. Over 160 vessels had been boarded as of 1 June 2010.
Several submarines of the Royal Norwegian Navy Ula class have been deployed in the Mediterranean Sea in support of the NATO Operation Active Endeavour, where their intelligence-gathering abilities have surpassed expectations. Their operational availability proved to be the highest of all the ships taking part in the operation.
On 15 September 2006, NATO authorized the Russian ship Pytliviy to participate in Operation Active Endeavour.
Since its inception, the ships of Active Endeavour have monitored over 100,000
On 4 December 2001, STANAVFORMED ships Aliseo, Formion, and Elrod were called to assist in the rescue of 84 civilians from a stricken oil rig. In high winds and heavy seas, the Italian helicopter of the Aliseo removed all 84 workers from the oil rig in 14 flights.
On 2 January 2002, SNFL's Spanish frigate
While conducting
Vice Admiral Roberto Cesaretti went on to state "Although this event relates to criminals, there is also a message for the terrorists here – we are looking for you, and when we find you – there will be no place to hide."[This quote needs a citation]
In an interview with Rear Admiral
Other Mediterranean Dialogue countries expressed interest in collaborating in OAE. An EOL with Morocco was completed on 2 June 2008. It was followed, on 22 October 2009, by a Tactical Memorandum of Understanding defining the modalities of Morocco's participation in the operation.
An EOL with Georgia was completed on 26 March 2008. The related TMOU was signed on 28 April 2010.
Building on the experience achieved over the years, the operation is now network-based and no longer relies on permanently assigned units. However, it continues to conduct "surge" operations and remains prepared to carry out at-sea inspections. New technologies, exploitation of developments in surveillance and
HMCS Vancouver deployed on Op Sirius, the Canadian contribution, in November 2011 as it is follow on mission to Operation Unified Protector.
Operation Active Endeavour changed command from Joint Forces Command (JFC), Naples, to Maritime Command Headquarters (HQ MARCOM), Northwood, United Kingdom in February 2013.[2]
At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, NATO leaders agreed to transition Operation Active Endeavour to a non-Article 5 maritime security operation, to be called Operation Sea Guardian.[2] Operation Sea Guardian was formally launched on 9 November 2016, marking the end of Active Endeavour.[5] It has a wider remit, including maritime situational awareness, freedom of navigation, maritime interdiction, countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, protecting critical infrastructure, countering terrorism at sea and maritime security capacity-building.[6]
References
- ^ "French-language news from Israel, the Middle East & the Jewish World". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Operation Active Endeavour". NATO. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ "Active Endeavour ships assist Greece in illegal immigration operation". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- Jane's Navy International, June 2006, p. 86.
- ^ NATO. "Allied Maritime Command - Home". www.mc.nato.int.
- ^ "NATO - Topic: Operation Sea Guardian".
External links
- Official NATO website for Operation Active Endeavour
- Official NATO southern command website for Operation Active Endeavour
- Report any suspicious activity in the Mediterranean Sea to the NATO SHIPPING CENTRE (NSC)