31 May 2022 - UK/NED/NATO: Commander MARCOM visits JFC Brunssum: Brunssum, The Netherlands –
On Tuesday 31 May, Commander Allied Maritime Command (COM MARCOM), Vice Admiral Keith Blount, Royal Navy, visited Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS).
Based in Northwood, United Kingdom, MARCOM is the primary headquarters responsible for maritime forces assigned to NATO. These forces typically come under one of two groups of Frigates and Destroyers known as Standing NATO Maritime Groups (SNMG 1 & 2) – or Mine Countermeasures groups known as Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Groups (SNMCMG 1 & 2).
[MRT: Note that Germany and some other allies got supposedly a heads up strategic warning in June/July that there is a threat to Nordstream pipelines.]
2 July 2022 - UK/UA: The Commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa, held an online meeting with the Commander of the Allied NATO Maritime Command, Vice Admiral Keith Blount (Royal Navy)
7 July 2022 - GER/UK/NATO: NATO Maritime Command, @NATO_MARCOM:
Today 5th July 🇩🇪 Ambassador to UK Miguel Berger visited #NATO Maritime Command headquarters in Northwood 🇬🇧 where he met with MARCOM Commander Vice Admiral Keith Blount and deputy MARCOM Commander Vice Admiral Didier Piaton.
[MRT: Note that Germany and some other allies got supposedly a heads up strategic warning in June/July that there is a threat to Nordstream pipelines.]
The main purpose of this visit was to maintain and develop the already close relationship between the two headquarters and to discuss the how this should evolve with the changing security context.
[MRT: The UK changed its security structures just before the event - see here. And Truss became the new PM on 06-09-2022. Here is UK´s statements about Nordtsream - vast data from 2022 and before is collected in this post - here]
Under NATO’s new Strategic Concept, agreed at the Madrid Summit after Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, the Alliance is strengthening its ability to deter aggression and defend every inch of Alliance territory.
Based in Northwood, United Kingdom, MARCOM is the primary headquarters responsible for maritime forces assigned to NATO.
[MRT: Nordstream affair was a naval mission conducted by a state actor. The NATO naval HQ is located in London, Northwoods. The perpetrator had to somehow "manage" the data and information flow. The HQ is in the same place as Royal Navy HQ and JEF HQ.]
Prior to arriving in Gdansk and Gdynia, Kearsarge and Gunston Hall, along with San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), participated in two training events in and around the Baltic Sea with the Swedish and Finnish Armed Forces as well as NATO Allied Maritime Command’s (MARCOM) Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1.
The training enhanced the ARG and embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit’s (MEU) ability to operate alongside allies and partners while demonstrating the strength of a cohesive NATO alliance.
While in Gdynia and Gdansk, Kearsarge and Gunston Hall leadership will participate in key leader engagements to include an office call with the 3rd Ships Flotilla Commander.
[MRT: ?]
In discussion with VAdm Blount we highlighted the position of the @deutschemarine for a regional maritime #Hauptquartier in the #Ostsee . 🇩🇪 as a regional #Expertise |carrier. #strongertogether #wearenato #verantwortungsvollepartner
[MRT: ?]
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) arrived in Riga, Latvia for a scheduled port visit, Sept. 15, 2022.“Our presence in Riga serves as a physical reminder to the Latvians that we fully support the NATO alliance and the Baltic States,” said Cmdr. Aaron Arky, Paul Ignatius’ commanding officer.
[MRT: this will change in a few days after Norway delivers a special intelligence to the USA Navy HQs and Pentagon - see here and here.]
Since departing Tallinn Estonia in late August, Paul Ignatius has operated in the Baltic Sea with the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) as well as the Swedish Navy and Dutch, Portuguese, and Norwegian navies attached to NATO Allied Maritime Command’s (MARCOM) Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1.
Paul Ignatius is the latest U.S. Navy ship to conduct a port visit in Riga, following the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) just last week and fellow destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) in July of this year.
Paul Ignatius is currently on patrol in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) area of operations as a member of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) force.
She began her patrol on Aug. 1, 2022 and joined up with the Kearsarge ARG in the Baltic Sea, Aug. 30, 2022.
Four U.S. Navy destroyers are based in Rota, Spain and are assigned to Commander, Task Force 65 in support of NATO’s Integrated Air Missile Defense architecture.
NATO is not party to the conflict.
[MRT: but what about a member of the NATO? Is that also included?]
But we provide support to Ukraine so it can uphold its right for self-defence, enshrined in the UN Charter.
[MRT: The NATO position on Ukrainian-Russian conflict is known and is not part of this investigation.]
Ours is a defensive Alliance.We stand united and determinedto defend and protect every NATO Ally.And every inch of Allied territory.
[MRT: The statement comes a few days after attack on Nordstream. The prime suspect is the UK, a member of the alliance. He tells the truth but omits the most important part. The NATO by its defensive posture is protecting its member which has attacked the key European infrastructure.]
Then on the on the on the pipelines. Yes, I spoke with Chancellor Scholz today. We addressed of course the sabotage against Nordstream One and Nordstream Two.
[MRT: The framing and defining of the act as a "sabotage" is legally impossible without knowing who has done it and without knowing motives - see post here.]
This is very serious, big explosions destroying two pipelines. We support also the efforts which are ongoing, efforts of investigation to reveal the facts and to determine who was behind these attacks.
[MRT: There is no information about releasing any data about circumstances of the event, as a suspect NATO must, at this point, release all data to investigators and cooperate.]
NATO and NATO Allies are present with naval capabilities, with planes in the Baltic Sea, in the North Sea.
[MRT: Why is North Sea even mentioned? Why not Adriatic sea or Black sea?]
And of course, this sends a message of Allies and NATO readiness to protect and defend each other, also critical infrastructure.
[MRT: The statement could be interpreted that NATO has made a joint decision to protect one of its member and defend that state against possible Russian retaliation.]
These Allies, these capabilities, these planes, these ships are also collecting information, data, which can be helpful both for the ongoing investigation but also to monitor these critical energy infrastructures.
[MRT: The NATO local naval HQ is located in Norfolk, London, UK - see post here.]
And we are stepping up our sharing of intelligence, sharing of information.
[MRT: After Norway blew a whistle on 19-09-2022 the alliance has been fractured and there was no trust between members. The USA withdrew its ships from the Baltic Sea - see post here.]
MARCOM, our Maritime Command in Northwood is collecting a lot of this information.
[MRT: This also means that this location had the situational awareness and could see the perpetrator or be directly involved, note that the head of MARCOM is from UK Royal Navy.]
And we are also actually reviewing some of the data we have already collected over the last weeks and months, to see that when we looked through those data again, whether we were able to discover something connected to the attacks on the two pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
[MRT: Is there is no liability of NATO for not being able to protect joint infrastructure?]
It also highlights the importance of the work which is ongoing in NATO to strengthen the resilience, including resilience of critical infrastructure.
[MRT: NATO has failed to protect and nobody is responsible.]
So a military presence to send the message of deterrence, to collect and monitor and collect data and monitor the infrastructure.
[MRT: It prevents Russia its "Right to retaliate".]
And then, share information, and step up resilience are the most important ways NATO and NATO Allies are now supporting each other to prevent anything similar to happen to any other critical energy infrastructure.
[MRT: Some pipelines are more equal than others.]
"And we are stepping up our sharing of intelligence, sharing of information. MARCOM, our Maritime Command in Northwood is collecting a lot of this information."
[MRT: This also means that this location had the situational awareness and could see the perpetrator or be directly involved, note that the head of MARCOM is from UK Royal Navy.]
Exchanges between @NATO_MARCOM and #FrenchCSG commanders to discuss allied maritime operations. Our task forces are used to coordinate and to operate together with high-end warfare capabilities. #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether
Change is inevitable, but we must adapt without compromising our core task of collective defence
[MRT: What is the reason for the change and how the reason could compromise the joint defence efforts?]
Commander JFCBS, General Luigi Guglielmo Miglietta, welcomed nearly 30 senior Generals and Admirals together with their delegations from around 20 NATO and Partner Nations.
The conference provided a unique opportunity to personally meet and discuss issues vital for the future of the Alliance in JFC Brunssum’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).
As well as Chiefs of Defence or their representatives, delegations attended from NATO Component Commands such as the Land, Air, and Maritime Component Commands (LANDCOM, AIRCOM, MARCOM), as well as from the sister Joint Force Commands of Naples and Norfolk.During his opening remarks, General Miglietta called the NATO and partner nations represented at this conference “a community at the heart of the defence of Europe.”
[MRT: There is a rotten apple in the NATO, one rogue state which attacked Nordstream.]
The participation of so many high ranking military representatives sends “a clear sign we all stand together, in the spirit of good cooperation, and desire to protect our shared values of freedom and democracy.
[MRT: If a few arrived at the meeting does it mean there was a reason why they disagreed? Is the nATO a cheerleading club which put the broken/fractured alliance together?]
These are the principles of our defensive Alliance, even more so in these stormy times”, the Commander continued.
[MRT: In the past there were issues between members: Turkey and Greece. Now it is obviously between the UK and France/Germany/Netherland whose infrastructure has been attacked, and basically against the whole EU. ]
Commander MARCOM Vice Admiral Keith Blount welcomed 🇩🇪 #German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht for briefings on #NATO’s current maritime operations and senior-level staff talks. #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether #DeterAndDefend
[MRT: Biter forced smile - a Stockholm syndrome? And a shining smile by UK rep.]
18 Nov 2022 - UK Joint Delegation to NATO, @UKNATO:
Vice Admiral Keith Blount will succeed General Sir Tim Radford as @NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) from July 2023, a first for the @RoyalNavy Congratulations, Vice Admiral Blount!
This is the first time the role has been held by a representative from the Royal Navy.
The exercise involved units and personnel from 12 countries, including Finland, Sweden, the United States and NATO Allied Maritime Command’s (MARCOM) Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1.Commodore Jukka Anteroinen, Chief of Staff of the Finnish Navy Command. “The involvement of the U.S. partners is a very welcome enhancement to the Finnish Navy’s Freezing Winds 22 exercise. High-level assets such as USS Paul Ignatius, P8 Poseidon and the always professional Marine Corps personnel bring a great add-on value to our maritime operations with significant capabilities they provide. Our combined training will increase the stability and security of the entire Baltic Sea region.”After completing the opening remarks of the conference at the NAVEUR-NAVAF and SIXTHFLT headquarters, the commanders and command master chiefs transitioned to the USS George H.W. Bush, to discuss the how CTF leaders could improve regional security, and advance the unity of U.S. partners and allies.
[MRT: Most critical ad secret meetings happen at carriers, e.g. this one here]
These discussions included an in-depth look at the fleet’s current rules of engagement, and how each command should professionally interact with foreign navy’s at-sea in accordance with international law.
[MRT: Before the Nordstream attack there were some warnings about possible hybrid ttacks - several states around the Baltic sea increased their security and run anti-terrorist acts. If a NATO member does not engage in illegal act (hard to prove for example for a submarine collecting data or installing secretely explosives) then it is actually very hard to stop such mission. This is very likely what happened after 19-0-2022 and subsequent crisis in thr Baltic sea after which the US Kearserge group left.]
Ishee said aligning fleet-wide intent was important especially with regard to the heightened tensions throughout the European theater.
[MRT: The Nordstream crisis and the Ukrainian-Russian conflicts are two separate events.]
“We need to focus on where we are today,” said Ishee. “And where we are today is a focus on ‘Deter and Defend.’
[MRT: By the Deter and Defend posture the NATO actually protects the perpetrator and keeps the Trans-Atlantic alliance alive. The information about the identity of the perpetrator could break up NATO and create a geo-political vacuum, it is unpredictable to know how Russia would react to such opportunity after the UK´s blunder]
This is the time we need to think about, and really incorporate this mindset – especially because we are the forward-deployed forces. We are out here every day operating with Allies and partners.”The discussions on operational mission-standards also highlighted the importance of deterrence and defense by Allies and partners...Russia must not and will not win this war.
[MRT: The Baltic sea security is connected to the outcome of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. It looks like NATO shares a view that there is a possibility of some negotiated (silent) settlement between countries.]
It is equally obvious and clear, and we stand by that, that NATO itself must not become party to the conflict, for this would lead to an escalation with unforeseeable consequences for the planet...
[MRT: There is a possibility that the attack against the NS2 which is fully owned by Gazprom, which itself has majority share owned by Russian state through several agencies COULD be considered a "caucus beli" - armed attack/a declaration of war - here.]
NATO is and remains the central guarantor of our collective security.
[MRT: It reads what it means. Without NATO there would not be, after Nordstream attack, any collective security. NATO for its survival had to cover-up the perpetrator.]
We will stand ready to support each other, any Ally, against any threat, and to protect every inch of the Alliance.
[MRT: Protecting any ally guilty of not in the name of collective in/security.]
[MRT: The UK led JEF had a part in the plot, interestingly it can react independently outside and under the threshold of article 5 (!) the juicy parts are here...]
The role of JEF & NATO MARCOM in Nordstream Affair - PART 1
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