07/24/2014: A fleet of NATO ships –assigned to Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group 2 (SNMCMG2 ) – converges on the Bulgarian port of Burgas in the Black Sea. The ships’ mission is to enhance maritime security and boost NATO’s presence in the region.
They will also take part in an international naval exercise called “Breeze 2014”. In light of the current turbulent situation in Ukraine, this annual exercise takes on greater significance than usual.
Footage of the fleet includes the Italian Navy flagship ITS Aviere and comments by Rear Admiral Robert Kamensky of the US Navy and Italian Navy Captain Giovanni Piegaja on the purpose of this deployment, the maneuvers involved, and the benefits of cooperation between different Allied forces.
Credit:Pentagon Channel:7/22/14