The Greek frigate Kountouriotis has returned home after completing its mission with NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2).
It recently participated in the high-profile anti-submarine exercise Dynamic Manta 2025 off the coast of Italy.
The vessel’s involvement in the exercise and its broader deployment underscores Greece’s active role in strengthening NATO’s maritime capabilities and collective defense.
Dynamic Manta 2025, conducted in the Central Mediterranean Sea near Sicily, is one of NATO’s premier annual exercises focused on anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. This year’s iteration, which concluded recently, brought together an impressive array of assets: six submarines, nine surface ships, 13 aircraft, and over 1,600 sailors from 11 NATO nations, including Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and proficiency among allied forces in detecting, tracking, and countering undersea threats in a complex, multi-dimensional environment.
The Kountouriotis joined forces with submarines from nations like Greece, Italy, and Turkey, as well as maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters, in simulated submarine hunts designed to test and refine NATO’s tactical readiness. The exercise featured advanced scenarios where submarines alternated between hunting and being hunted, closely coordinating with air and surface units. Hosted by Italy, the operation received extensive logistical support from Italian naval bases in Catania, Augusta, and Sigonella, ensuring seamless execution of the demanding training schedule.
This year’s Dynamic Manta stood out for integrating cutting-edge tactics and technologies, building on lessons from previous iterations. It also marked a rare collaboration with Allied Maritime Special Operations Forces (SOF), with a Greek SOF team conducting a landing from an Italian submarine—a testament to NATO’s evolving capabilities and force multiplication strategies. The exercise reinforced NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, particularly in strategic waterways like the Mediterranean, amid growing submarine activity from the region’s NATO and non-NATO countries.
The return of the Kountouriotis highlights Greece’s ongoing contribution to NATO’s maritime security efforts. The frigate’s crew gained valuable experience in one of the Alliance’s most challenging warfighting domains. As NATO adapts to emerging threats, exercises like Dynamic Manta 2025 ensure its forces remain at the forefront of undersea warfare readiness.