The commander of NATO's Maritime Group Two says Russian forces have been depleted in the Mediterranean

The Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, Scott Sciretta, on board the flagship of SNMG2, on the occasion of his stopover at the Rota Naval Base, has stressed that the control and surveillance operations in the Eastern Mediterranean, of NATO's Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), around the Port of Tartous in Syria (where Russian forces are operating), are producing good results. 

In this regard, he has been able to confirm that, after monitoring "these professional and safe actions, our presence there has counteracted Russia's influence". 

NATO's deterrent show of force in the Mediterranean absorbs air, submarine and land capabilities, according to the SNMG2 commander, who also assured that the operations conducted over the past year in the maritime environment are an effective deterrent to any attempt at aggression by nations hostile to the Alliance. "The capabilities of Russian forces today are less than they were a year ago. They are less well prepared to deal with the Alliance," he said. 

For Scott Sciretta, being at the forefront of a multinational grouping, the multi-role destroyer USS JAMES E WILLIAMS receives units from different nations capitalised alongside it. "Using the capabilities that each nation has, I can assure you that deterrence is effective and should we move to the defence phase, the grouping is ready to fight tonight, if necessary," he stressed.

NATO's Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) has recently organised a meeting between the media and the SNMG2 commander. This press briefing was followed by a guided tour of the SNMG2 flagship, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS (DDG 95). 

During the event, Scott Sciretta recalled Spain's commitment to NATO, as a good ally of the Alliance, since its incorporation in 1992. 

Scott Sciretta also praised the performance of all the Spanish ships and the professionalism of the personnel who have participated in NATO's standing maritime grouping during the time it has been in command. "Spain's leadership, participating with the Juan Carlos I and the frigates Juan de Borbón and Cristóbal Colón in the Eastern Mediterranean, has provided the Alliance with very important capabilities for the development of its mission in this area of operations," he added.

He also confirmed that the NATO Grouping will take part in the multinational manoeuvres of Exercise FLOTEX 23, which will soon take place in the waters of the Western Mediterranean. This exercise will implement the capabilities of the Spanish Navy and help improve NATO's capabilities. "I am happy to participate in this exercise," he said. 

After FLOTEX 23, NATO Group Two, which the US Rear Admiral heads, has sufficient forces to be able to continue monitoring activity in the Eastern Mediterranean, "we have other units, six in total, that make up this group", he explained. 
He also pointed out that the International Military Staff, in which different NATO countries participate, makes it possible to jointly achieve an objective that strengthens the General Staff. There will be four ships under the command of the Spanish admiral participating in the FLOTEX exercise, with some twenty vessels. 

In this way, the US will send two more NATO missile defence shield destroyers to improve ballistic missile defence capabilities in Europe. "We in the US are very grateful to Spain for hosting four destroyers (which will later total six) that are in Rota for detection and common defence of the Alliance". 

When asked whether the final delivery of the F16 fighters could accelerate Putin's long-awaited nuclear weapons attack, the US Rear Admiral stressed to this correspondent that the decision to support Ukraine and with what means is a political one, and that he is in the tactical-operational management, while clarifying that NATO supports all citizens suffering from the violence and that the Alliance member countries' commanders are assessing the best way to help Ukraine. "The importance of the Alliance has never been as critical as it is right now; there are people in power who believe they can impose their views through violence," he said.

In the same vein, the Rear Admiral expressed his satisfaction at interacting with the Rear Admiral of the Spanish Navy, Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet Projection Group, Gonzalo Villar, who directs the operations of the combat group of the Juan Carlos I ship. He also highlighted his support for the catastrophe in Turkey. During the last year, the frigates Cristóbal Colón and Almirante Juan de Borbón joined the group.

SNMG-2 is a standing maritime grouping of the Alliance comprising naval and air units from allied nations. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability in naval scenarios. Admiral Scott Sciretta of the USS Navy took command of the Group in early July and will remain in command until June 2023. SNMG2 is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer of the US Navy. The ship is named after Petty Officer 1st Class James Elliott Williams, a river patrol boat commander and Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient, considered the most decorated enlisted man in Navy history.

Carmen Chamorro, CIP and ACPE board member and member of ADESYD