The minehunter ‘Duero’ (M-35) returns to Cartagena after concluding her integration into the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG-2)

The minehunter ‘Duero’ has just returned to her home port in Cartagena after a two-month deployment integrated into the Second Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group (SNMCMG-2).

It was the second contribution of Spain to this NATO MCM group after the deployment of the minehunter ‘Segura’ in July 2012.

During her deployment the ‘Duero’ took part in several exercises like ‘Spanish Minex-14’ hosted by Spain, and NATO’s multinational exercise ‘Noble Mariner’. Visited ports included Alicante, Casablanca (Morocco), Cartagena, Algiers (Algeria), Palma de Mallorca and Rota.

The SNMCMG-2 provides NATO with the necessary mines countermeasures capability in crisis or conflict situations but also in peacetime. During the scheduled ports of call this Allied task group contributed, through naval presence, to enhance the relations between visited nations.

The ‘Duero’ (M-35) is the fifth ‘Segura’-class minehunter, launched on May 5th 2003 and delivered to the Spanish Navy on July 5th 2004. The M-35 has a complement of 43 people under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Francisco Díaz Rodríguez.