NATO anti-mine vessels to visit Turku

Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) visits Turku on October 25-27 for an exercise with the Finnish Navy. Some of the ships will welcome visitors on October 26, Saturday, said an official press release.

The Finnish Navy will exercise together with the SNMCMG1 on October 28-29 in the Archipelago Sea and the Gulf of Finland.

The aim of the exercise is to develop the operations of international framework and to enhance the interoperability between Finnish Mine Countermeasures Units and the SNMCMG1. The exercise will focus on practising mine-countermeasure procedures.

The participating units in the exercise are the Mine Hunter Coastal (MHC) and the Purunpää (of Finnish Navy) and the six vessels of SNMCMG1: HDMS Thetis (Denmark), HMS Cattistock (United Kingdom), LVNS Talivaldis (Latvia), HLMS Urk (the Netherlands), FGS Weilheim (Germany), and HNoMS Rauma (Norway). SNMCMG1 is led by Commander Peter Krogh.

The exercise is led and the visit is hosted by the commander of the 4th Mine Countermeasures Squadron Commander Juhani Lehtimäki (Coastal Fleet).

Some of the ships will be open and welcome visitors onboard on October 26 from 13 to 15 hours. The ships will berth alongside the Aurajoki River next to Turku Castle (entry to the ships via Maritime Centre Forum Marinum’s yard, Linnankatu 72). Please notice, no bags are allowed onboard. Bags can be stored into a temporary cloakroom next to the ships.