SNMG2 joins Allied warships in PASSEX as Italy's Mare Aperto 2026 gets under way

A Greek commodore at the helm of a force that never leaves the sea

SNMG2 is one of four NATO standing naval forces under MARCOM in Northwood. Active since 1992 as the successor to the former Mediterranean force STANAVFORMED, it usually comprises four to six destroyers and frigates and provides the Alliance with an immediate response capability. Member states contribute ships and take command on a rotational basis.

Since 29 June 2026 the group has been commanded by Commodore Georgios Kypriotis of the Hellenic Navy, who took over from Italian Rear Admiral Cristian Nardone. According to MARCOM, the flagship is the Greek frigate HS Kountouriotis (F462), with the German replenishment ship FGS Berlin (A1411) and the Italian multipurpose offshore patrol vessel ITS Raimondo Montecuccoli (P432) also in the group.

PASSEX: a test of teamwork in a few hours

A PASSEX is a short joint drill between warships that meet at sea. Ships of different flags manoeuvre in close formation, change formation on command and check communications and signalling procedures. It looks spectacular from the outside, but for crews it is a practical test of whether commanders understand the same orders, whether communications systems work together and whether ships from different navies can sail safely alongside each other at speed.

That is why a PASSEX routinely opens major exercises and accompanies almost every NATO port visit abroad. It takes little time and confirms the basics of cooperation before a force moves on to more demanding scenarios.

Mare Aperto: the Italian fleet at sea twice a year

Mare Aperto is the Italian Navy's most important and complex training event. The fleet command runs it twice a year, in spring and autumn, with surface ships, submarines, aircraft, amphibious forces and uncrewed systems, including Allied units. The spring edition ran from 3 to 27 May.

The autumn phase began on 6 October. On 13 October the carrier Cavour sailed from Taranto with other units. An amphibious phase is under way off the Capo Teulada range in Sardinia, and from 21 to 24 October a tactical phase, TACEX, will take place along the island's east and south-east coast. The Italian Navy is also opening ships to the public: on 17 and 18 October the amphibious ships San Giusto and San Giorgio can be visited in Cagliari and the replenishment ship Etna in Gaeta.

Polish ships in NATO standing forces

NATO standing forces are the best school of cooperation for member navies, and the Polish Navy has a strong presence in them. Polish ships serve regularly above all in the mine countermeasures groups in the Baltic and North Sea, and ORP Kontradmirał Xawery Czernicki has repeatedly served as their flagship. The Miecznik-class frigates now entering service will give the Polish Navy the opportunity to contribute more to the surface combatant groups as well, such as SNMG1 and SNMG2.