Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) standing mine countermeasures Immediate Reaction Forces. Prior to 1 January 2005 it was known as the NATO Mine Countermeasure Force (North) (MCMFN).
SNMCMG1 is a permanently established naval squadron that normally consists of seven mine countermeasures vessels, including a dedicated command ship.
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Today, SNMCMG1 is under the operational command of the Allied Command Operations (ACO) has operational command of the force. Command is delegated through Joint Force Commander Brunssum (JFC Brunssum) to Commander Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood. Day-to-day planning of the force is conducted from NATO Headquarters Allied Maritime Component Command Headquarters Northwood and long-term planning is carried out in collaboration with the operational staff at Joint Force Command Brunssum and the Combined Joint Planning Staff (CJPS).
The area of operations for the group includes the waters of Europe from the North of Norway to the Mediterranean and from the Irish Sea to the Eastern Baltic Sea. Since 1998 SNMCMG1 has also been operating in coastal waters of the United States, Canada and Iceland.
Seven NATO navies regularly contribute to the force. Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and United Kingdom provide ships continuously. Denmark and Poland provide ships as national priorities permit. New NATO members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined the group in beginning in 2005.
The origins of the Channel command predate NATO. Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom formed the Western Union of Defense Organization in September 1946.
NATO established the Allied Command Channel by February 1952.
The mine countermeasure force was first formed in May 1973.
| Date of information | Name | Country | Dates of Command | Flag ship | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2003 | Commander Adrian Cassar | United Kingdom | May 2002 - 28 May 2003 | HMS Dumbarton Castle | [1], [2] |
| 18 May 2004 | Commander sg Michael Flagstad | Denmark | 28 May 2003 - 28 May 2004 | HDMS Lindormen
HDMS Lossen |
[3], [4], [5] |
| 18 May 2004 | Commander sg Per Kartvedt | Norway | 28 May 2004 - 12 May 2005 | HNOMS Vidar | [6] |
| 4 January 2006 | Commander Nico Vasseur | Netherlands | 12 May 2005 | EML Admiral Pitka (Estonia) | [7] |
| Information needed | |||||
| ? | Commander Serge Ots | Belgian Navy | ? - 10 January 2008 | [8] | |
| ? | Commander Chris Davies | Royal Navy | 10 January 2008 - | HMS Hurworth (United Kingdom) | [9] |
| ? | Commander s.g. H. Holck Rasmussen | Denmark | 2009 - 2010 | HDMS Thetis | [10] |