Three months on the Baltic Sea. That is the prospect for HNLMS Snellius, which deployed April 13 to relieve sistership Luymes as flagship of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1).
SNMCMG1’s task includes disarming explosives at sea. It must also prevent sabotage of submarine infrastructure. Think of the many cables that run across the seabed. This operation is carried out under the name Baltic Sentry.
The Snellius can provide important support for these tasks. It is a hydrographic survey vessel. It maps changes in the seabed of busy waterways. The ship has previously done this mainly in the North Sea and the Caribbean. Now for NATO in the Baltic Sea. The Snellius also participates in exercises in an international context.