Three NATO allies activate Black Sea task force

ISTANBUL — Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria have activated a naval task force dedicated to countering mine warfare in the Black Sea.

The move comes as Ukraine fights off a Russian invasion , which has involved clashes in and around the body of water .

The top officers of the Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian navies met in Istanbul for the initial launch of the task force on Monday. About six months prior, the officials signed a memorandum of understanding to move forward with the initiative.

Vice Adm. Mihai Panait, the chief of Romania’s Naval Forces, said the task force “not only enhances our collective operational capabilities but also addresses the conflict in our region, which has imposed the mobilization of the three riparian NATO states to ensure the freedom of navigation, respecting the Montreux Convention .”

The Black Sea is of strategic importance to NATO, of which all three countries are members. The organization last year encouraged allies to uphold the security and stability of the region, including through the use of the 1936 Montreux Convention. Under that agreement, Turkey manages the movement of commercial and military ships in and out of the Bosporus and Dardanelles.

Rear Admiral Yusuf Akyüz of the Turkish Naval Forces commands the task force, which is charged with ensuring the safety of maritime traffic against mines and strengthening cooperation and interoperability among participants. This initial activation will last July 1-16, and will reform again Sept. 20-29, then finally Nov. 3-13 November.

During these scheduled activations, the task group will also participate in the Bulgarian-led exercise Breeze, the Turkish-run drill Nusret and the Romanian-led exercise Poseidon, respectively, to hone their mine countermeasures skills.

On Jan. 2, 2025, Bulgaria will take command of the task force from Turkey. There are currently two activations planned for that year.

For now, the Turksih support ship TCG Yzb. Güngör Durmuş will act as the flagship. Other vessels assigned to the task force are the Bulgarian mine-hunter BGS Struma, the Romanian mine-sweeper ROS Slt. Alexandru Axente and the Turkish mine-hunter TCG Akçay.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

伊斯坦布尔——土耳其、罗马尼亚和保加利亚已启动一支专门打击黑海水雷战的海军特遣部队。

此举正值乌克兰抵御俄罗斯入侵之际，双方在该水域及其周边地区发生了冲突。

土耳其、罗马尼亚和保加利亚海军高级官员周一在伊斯坦布尔举行会议，正式启动了该特遣部队。大约六个月前，三国官员签署了一份谅解备忘录，以推进这项倡议。

罗马尼亚海军司令米哈伊·帕纳伊特中将表示，该特遣部队“不仅增强了我们的集体作战能力，而且还解决了我们地区的冲突，这场冲突迫使三个沿岸北约国家动员起来，以确保航行自由，并尊重《蒙特勒公约》。”

黑海对北约具有重要的战略意义，这三个国家都是北约成员国。去年，北约鼓励盟国维护该地区的安全与稳定，包括通过落实1936年《蒙特勒公约》。根据该公约，土耳其负责管理进出博斯普鲁斯海峡和达达尼尔海峡的商船和军舰。

土耳其海军少将优素福·阿克尤兹指挥这支特遣部队，其任务是确保海上交通安全，防止水雷威胁，并加强各参与方之间的合作与协同作战能力。此次特遣部队的首次启动时间为7月1日至16日，之后将于9月20日至29日再次启动，最后于11月3日至13日进行最后一次启动。

在这些预定的演习期间，该特遣队还将分别参加保加利亚主导的“微风”演习、土耳其主导的“努斯雷特”演习和罗马尼亚主导的“海神”演习，以磨练其地雷反制技能。

2025年1月2日，保加利亚将从土耳其手中接管特遣部队的指挥权。目前计划当年进行两次行动。

目前，土耳其支援舰“TCG Yzb. Güngör Durmuş”号将担任旗舰。其他隶属于该特遣部队的舰艇包括保加利亚扫雷舰“BGS Struma”号、罗马尼亚扫雷舰“ROS Slt. Alexandru Axente”号和土耳其扫雷舰“TCG Akçay”号。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。