NATO Ships Police GIUK Gap

A NATO task group is conducting security patrols in a key naval region in the High North: the GIUK gap.

Ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) are currently at sea in the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom-Norway (GIUK) Gap, a gateway separating the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea from the open Atlantic Ocean.

SNMG1 is one of four mission-ready NATO fleets, falling under Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM). Headquartered in Northwood, United Kingdom, it is the central command of all NATO maritime forces. SNMG1 operates mainly in the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. 

Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp is the current flagship of SNMG1, led by Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Arjen S. Warnaar, who assumed command of SNMG1 in mid-January.

As per a recent MARCOM press statement: “The patrols will enhance maritime situational awareness and air-space monitoring, while ensuring continued readiness in Arctic conditions.”

It noted: “The area is also important for Russia, providing an essential route to the Atlantic Ocean from the ice-free harbour Murmansk.”

• You can read more details on the MARCOM website