Regele Ferdinand Frigate (F-221), the flagship of the Romanian Naval Forces (FNR), on Friday morning has left the southeastern Constanta Port within a military ceremony, to participate in the Sea Guardian Operation in the Mediterranean Sea.
The ceremony was attended by the Naval Forces Chief of Staff (SMFN), Vice Admiral Dr. Alexandru Mirsu, Fleet Commander - Fleet Rear Admiral Daniel Capatana, and the Chief of Staff of the SMG Joint Forces Command, Commodore Marian Savulescu. According to the SMFN spokesperson, Colonel Corneliu Pavel, the event marks the resumption of the missions of the Romanian Naval Forces in the operation theatres under NATO mandate in the Mediterranean, interrupted in 2014, after the security situation in the Black Sea degraded and the Crimean Peninsula was illegally annexed by the Russian Federation.
Regele Ferdinand Frigate (F-221), with a Puma Naval helicopter aboard and a 240-strong crew will join for a month the SNMG-2 (Standing NATO Maritime Group 2) naval group forces that participate in the Allied Maritime Command-led Sea Guardian Operation that is mainly targeting to ensure the maritime security of the Alliance's members in the Mediterranean Sea. "By the participation of the Regele Ferdinand Frigate in the NATO Sea Guardian Operation, the FNR is contributing to accomplishing the commitments assumed by our country towards its Alliance's partners and proves that Romania is providing a constant support to the consolidation of the security and collective defence measures, this year the warship being included in the resources our country is putting at NATO's disposal, also being twice integrated in the NATO SNMG-2 naval group that has carried out missions in the Black Sea," Colonel Corneliu Pavel told Agerpres on Friday.