Madrid. 10 November 2022. Recently the waters of the Gulf of Cadiz have been the scenario of NATO’s exercise “NEMO TRIALS 22”.
The execution phase of the exercise carried out this week, is the culmination of a two-year planning period, led by units from the 31st Surface Squadron, belonging to the Fleet Combat Force, based in Ferrol.
NATO’s NEMO (Naval Electro Magnetic Operations) Trials are aimed at enhancing the interoperability of NATO forces to operate in complex electromagnetic environments. They are also an indispensable instrument to implement research guidelines to advance in the development of new capabilities, and for the improvement of procedures and doctrine in areas of Electro-Magnetic Operations.
This year’s edition, organized by the Spanish Navy, was attended by a large number of participants in a wide range of areas, including new detection and defense systems against aircraft and unmanned naval vehicles, as well as the more traditional ones in the naval environment, such as anti-missile defense systems.
Given the remarkable scientific and technological nature of the tests, many of the participating assets belonged to important civilian companies and institutions from Spain, Germany, Norway, France, Italy and USA. In order to carry out the tests, the assets were deployed in several areas of the Cadiz coast.
The Spanish Navy ships which took part in the exercises were the F-100 frigates “Blas de Lezo” and “Méndez Núñez”, the auxiliary oiler and replenishment ship “Cantabria”, all of them units from the 31st Surface Squadron, and the F-80 frigate “Canarias”, of the 41st Escort Squadron usually stationed in Rota Naval Base, as well as the transport ship “Contramaestre Casado”, along with the Italian Navy destroyer “Andrea Doria” and elements from the Spanish Army and Air Force. The Task Group was under command of Captain Gonzalo Leira Neira, Commander of the 31st Surface Squadron.
Once the exercises concluded, the most important stage begins which is the real objective of NATO’s NEMO TRIALS; namely, the analysis of all the data that both the ships and the different participating means have collected during the whole week.
