Press Release nr 07/07
Naples 10 May 2007
UKRAINIAN SHIP PREPARES TO BE DEPLOYED
IN
OPERATION ACTIVE
ENDEAVOUR
Naples,
10 May 2007. The Ukrainian frigate URS Ternopil will conduct Force
Integration Training with NATO beginning 10 May
2007 to prepare for
participation in NATO's anti-terrorism Operation
Active Endeavour (OAE). In preparation for the Ukrainian unit to join
NATO’s anti-terrorism operation and improving the
inter-operability between NATO and Ukrainian units, a NATO core team will embark
on the Ternopil at Sevastopol (Ukraine). They will co-ordinate the training of
personnel from the Black Sea Fleet headquarters and the ship that will deploy to
the Mediterranean to support the NATO operation.
The Ukrainian Force Integration Training has three phases. The first at sea phase of training will occur during the
transit from Sevastopol to Taranto (Italy) in company with a NATO Ship. The second phase
will be in Soudha Bay, where secure military communications with NATO ships will
be established with assistance of the British frigate HMS Montrose. The third
and last phase will comprise the Force Integration Training at Sea (FIT) and
“Certification” during which URS Ternopil will join a NATO Force to conduct
familiarization training and demonstrate that the standards required for
operation with NATO maritime units have been met.
Operation Active Endeavour is NATO’s maritime
contribution to the fight against terrorism. Launched in October 2001, it
continues to conduct surveillance and monitoring operations of the major
shipping lanes in the Mediterranean. In 2004, NATO decided to enlist the support of partner
nations, Mediterranean Dialogue countries and other selected nations. The
preparations for the Ukrainian participation in OAE were set following an
Exchange of Letters between Ukraine and NATO in April
2005.
Training and certification are the two main elements of
pre-deployment preparations, which aim to ensure that Ukrainian ships are able
to participate effectively in the operation. Training at sea with Allied ships
participating in Operating Active Endeavour is also required in order to
practise joint manoeuvring and the boarding of suspect ships. The URS Ternopil successfully completed this
"mission oriented training" in the Mediterranean in November 2006. A
group of experts from Allied military commands visited the Ukrainian Navy
Headquarters at Sevastopol in February
this year to assess progress.
Once the current training has been successfully completed, the ship will
be certified by NATO as ready to join the operation. URS Ternopil is expected to support
Operation Active Endeavour from the end of May through early July. The
deployment of a second corvette, the URS Lutsk, is expected in the autumn. A third
vessel, the frigate URS Sagaidachnyi, is expected to be
deployed in 2008.
Ukraine's active support for Operation Active
Endeavour is a demonstration of its determination to co-operate with the Allies
in the fight against terrorism.
Point of Contact:
CC-MAR PIO
Cdr Massimo Daicampi
Tel:
081 7216521, 081 7216446
e-mail:
mdaicampi@jfcnaples.nato.int