The Activation Ceremony for the participation of an EUROMARFOR MINE COUNTERMEASURES TASK GROUP (EMF MCM TG) in ESP MINEX 23 took place in Palma de Mallorca.
EUROMARFOR was activated on May 8th 2023 at the PUERTO PI Naval Station in Maiorca Island, Spain. The purpose of this activation is to participate in the international Mine Warfare Exercise SPANISH MINEX 23 starting in the same day.
The EUROMARFOR activation ceremony and the Force Flag rising was graced by the presence of the Commander of the Mine Countermeasures Force (COMTEMECOM), Captain Javier Ruiz Ruiz de Cortázar that chaired the event.
Cdr. José M. Liarte Ros, Commander of the First Minehunter Squadron, will exercise tactical command at sea of the EUROMARFOR MCM Group, made up on this occasion of 3 Spanish Navy minehunters (‘Segura’, ‘Sella’ and ‘Duero’), 1 French minehunter (‘Lyre’), 1 Italian minehunter (‘Viareggio’) and an Italian officer as part of his General Staff.
The activation of EUROMARFOR during this exercise aimed at increasing cooperation between the four EUROMARFOR nations in the field of mine warfare. The exchange of knowhow between mine warfare experts will also be facilitated, allowing each country to advance in this domain.
SPANISH MINEX 23 is an evolving exercise that provides realistic training in mine risk reduction in the presence of an asymmetric threat, as close as possible to allied coastlines.
In this way, EUROMARFOR develops its capacity for action and its interoperability with the other groups and nations involved.
Created in May 1995 as a follow-up to the Petersberg Declaration (1992), EUROMARFOR is a non-permanent maritime force capable of acting under the command of the European Union, NATO, UN, or even by simple agreement between the 4 member nations (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal). Its main missions are humanitarian, peacekeeping, crisis prevention and management, and maritime security. Spain assumes the rotating command of this force since September 2021.