NATO Mine Countermeasures Vessels to visit Turku

Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) visits Turku October 25 - 27 2019 due to an exercise with the Finnish Navy. Some of the ships will welcome visitors on Saturday October 26.

The Finnish Navy will exercise together with the SNMCMG1 October 28 - 29 2019 in the Archipelago Sea and Gulf of Finland.

The aim of the exercise is to develop operating in international framework and to enchance interoperability between Finnish Mine Countermeasures Units and the SNMCMG1. The exercise will focus on practising Mine Countermeasures procedures.

Participating units are Mine Hunter Coastal (MHC) Purunpää (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 the SNMCMG1 Commander, 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 October 26 from 13 - 15. The ships will berth alongside river Aurajoki next to Turku Castle (entry to the ships via Maritime Center Forum Marinum’s yard, Linnankatu 72). Please notice, no bags are allowed onboard. Bags can be stored into an temporary cloakroom next to the ships.