The Multinational Mine Countermeasures Exercise ESP MINEX-21 concludes in Balearic waters.

Friday, May 7th 2021

In the last two weeks, the Spanish Navy has organized and led the most important MCM exercise in the Mediterranean Sea with participation of ships and units from different NATO nations. At the same time, the minehunter ‘Tajo’ has concluded her integration into NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG-2).

The advanced MCM exercise ESP MINEX-21came to an end in Porto Pí Naval Station on May 7th. The exercise boasted the participation of several minehunters from the Spanish MCM Force, units from the SNMCMG-2 and EUROMARFOR, OPVs ‘Audaz’ and ‘Toralla’, the auxiliary ship ‘Las Palmas’, submarine ‘Tramontana’, aircraft from the Spanish Air Force and Navy and divers from Portugal, Belgium and the United States.

They have been weeks of intense work in which underwater mine search exercises have been conducted, both in day and night operations, testing the capabilities of all participating minehunters and their crews in the detection of this deadly underwater threat.

Diver units also played an important role in the exercise, collaborating with the ships and having the opportunity to work on specific exercises with their own equipment close to the shore.

After putting an end to this year's ESP MINEX-21, the ships returned to their respective bases, the Spanish ships heading for the Cartagena Arsenal. This also coincided with the return, after more than two months deployed in the Mediterranean Sea under NATO’s command, of the minehunter ‘Tajo’ integrated into the SNMCMG-2 since February.

During the deployment, her mission was to ensure freedom of action and navigation by hunting for mines and explosive devices, and surveillance of the seabed at the entrances to some harbors of countries bordering the Mediterranean. The ship participated in Operation ‘Sea Guardian’ and in the multinational exercises POSEIDON in the Black Sea, ARIADNE in Greece, ITALIAN MINEX in Italy and exercises with the Ukrainian Navy in its territorial waters. During her deployment, her crew, composed of 43 men and women, proudly and enthusiastically represented Spain under NATO’s flag.