Two NATO warships have arrived in Dublin for a three-day port go to aimed toward strengthening maritime cooperation with Eire.
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s amphibious assault ship HNLMS Johan de Witt and the German Navy’s air-defence frigate FGS Hamburg, each a part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), took half in joint workouts with the Irish Naval Service’s LE William Butler Yeats off the Irish coast.
The ships carried out manoeuvring and communication drills designed to display interoperability between NATO members and Eire’s naval forces.
Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Arjen Warnaar, commander of SNMG1, carried out a collection of courtesy calls in the course of the go to, assembly Irish officers to strengthen bilateral relations.
A reception hosted aboard HNLMS Johan de Witt introduced collectively representatives from NATO nations, native authorities and members of Eire’s maritime group.
NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) described the go to for example of how Standing NATO Maritime Teams keep a “steady and credible presence at sea” to uphold safety and stability throughout the North Atlantic. The port name mixed operational coaching, diplomacy and cultural engagement, with crews collaborating in leisure and outreach actions round Dublin.
The go to follows a broader programme of NATO engagement within the area, together with operations within the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, and displays ongoing efforts to deepen partnerships with non-member nations corresponding to Eire.