Spanish Navy Rear Admiral José Enrique Delgado, Chief of Staff of the Allied Maritime Forces, presided over a change of command ceremony aboard the retiring Royal Navy flagship HMS Duncan (D37).
According to a NATO press release:
“For more than five months during Mr. Stroud’s command, the task group was responsible for NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Maritime), which was launched in response to Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. SNMG2 continued to focus on its role as part of the “operating primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, and at a time when international tensions remain high, SNMG2’s operations are characterized by reassuring regional allies, deterring adversaries and maintain constant vigilance, presence, and readiness to protect NATO’s territorial integrity in response to the situation.”
“This change of command deeply reaffirms the bonds and unity that exist among NATO members. Our collective strength guarantees the peace and stability of our nations.” Rear Admiral José Enrique Delgado, Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy, said:
“SNMG2 operated primarily in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean and maintained constant readiness during its cruises, contributing to NATO deterrence and assurance and providing complete maritime situational awareness to NATO allies and partners.”
Since Strude took over command of SNMG2 from the United States in June, a total of 19 different ships from nine different NATO countries have been directly assigned to the task group: Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkiye, and the United States. Contributed. Kingdom.