• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

NATO ships train with Allies and Partners to reinforce the future of Black Sea security and support Ukraine's naval readiness

NATO Allied Maritime Command

Jul 14 2025

Portland, UK -- An exercise to support the development of the Ukrainian Navy's mine countermeasures capabilities has finished off the coast of Portland, UK.

Naval forces from Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States took part in Exercise Sea Breeze 25-2, between 30 June - 11 July 25. The annual exercise is jointly led by U.S. Sixth Feet and Ukraine.

Since Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine the exercise is no longer held in the Black Sea, and this year it was hosted by the Royal Navy off the south coast of England.

Four Ukrainian Navy minehunters participated - Chernihiv and Cherkasy, both donated by the Royal Navy; Mariupol recently donated by Belgium, and Melitopol donated by the Netherlands.

As part of the NATO Support and Assistance to the Security of Ukraine (NSATU) initiative, Allied Maritime Command deployed two minehunters from Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) to participate in the exercise - Estonian ship ENS Sakala and French ship FS Aigle.

The forces together conducted mine hunting operations, the safe disposal of explosive ordnance, precision diving and salvage techniques, and the effective deployment of unmanned underwater and surface vehicles. These activities reflect a growing focus on maritime safety and freedom of navigation in contested waters. The exercise ended with a demonstration combining these individual capabilities, further strengthening the cohesion and warfighting effectiveness of Allied and Partner forces.

"Exercises like Sea Breeze provide a valuable opportunity to train together, test procedures, and strengthen cooperation and friendship between units and nations. Regular practice ensures we all remain sharp and ready for real-life operations," said the Commanding Officer of ENS Sakala, Estonian Navy Lt Cdr Heimo Trave. "ENS Sakala was proud to take part. This exercise allowed us to grow professionally, support our Ukrainian colleagues with both practical assistance and advice, and take part in a truly meaningful and rewarding experience for our crew."

The Black Sea remains a region of strategic importance for the entire NATO Alliance. As a critical hub for imports and exports, it is directly tied to global prosperity and food security. Therefore, maritime stability in this region is not only a regional concern, it is a global imperative.

"Sea Breeze 25-2 increases the ability of NATO Allies and Partners to collaborate and operate in a high intensity, joint operating environment," said the Commander of SNMCMG1, Latvian Navy Commander Jānis Auce. "Training as one unified force ensures our collective security and improves our overall warfighting capabilities. Allied forces can also learn a lot from our Ukrainian Partners, who have an enormous amount of real-world experience to impart."

At the Sea Breeze 25-2 Headquarters, a combined and multinational HQ Staff conducted integrated training with a focus on planning and targeting capabilities, command-and-control of Allied and Partner forces, electronic warfare exploitation and countermeasures, and the integration of unmanned systems to increase and consolidate cross-domain awareness.

Exercise Sea Breeze 2025 occurred in two iterations, Sea Breeze 25-1 and 25-2. The first iteration, Sea Breeze 25-1, was hosted by the Romanian Armed Forces at Smardan Range, Romania, June 1-20, 2025.

Since 1997, Exercise Sea Breeze has brought together Black Sea nations, NATO Allies and Partners together to train and operate with NATO members, building increased capabilities. Exercise Sea Breeze 2025 is an annual multinational maritime exercise, involving sea, land, and air components co-hosted by the United States and Ukraine to enhance interoperability and capability among participating forces.

Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One is one of NATO's four Standing Naval Forces, maintaining high readiness to provide maritime security and rapidly respond to emerging threats across the Alliance's area of responsibility.

Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) is the central command of all NATO maritime forces and the MARCOM Commander is the primary maritime advisor to the Alliance.

Story by Public Affairs Office at MARCOM