Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) standing maritime Immediate Reaction Forces. Prior to 1 January 2005 it was known as Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) For the National Association of Theatre Owners, please see National Association of Theatre Owners. ... Sunset at sea A sea is a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, or a large, usually saline, lake that lacks a natural outlet such as the Caspian Sea and the Dead Sea. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

SNMG1 consists of 6 to 10 destroyers and frigates, with Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States each contributing 1 ship on a permanent basis. These are joined periodically by ships from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. The force operates, trains and exercises as a group, providing day-to-day verification of current NATO maritime procedures, tactics and effectiveness.

Ships are usually attached to the force for up to six months, on a rotating basis. Units of one nation do not necessarily relieve ships of the same nation. The force commander and the staff are appointed for one year, with the force commander rotating among the participating nations.

Operations

In peacetime, the force exercises primarily in the Eastern Atlantic. Allied Command Operations (ACO) has operational command of the force, and the Commander Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood administers the force while in the Eastern Atlantic. ACO delegates operational control to the area commander where the force is operating. The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ...

Organization

SNMG1 is a component of the NATO Response Force (NRF) The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a coherent, high readiness, joint, multinational force package of approximatly 17,000 troops that is technologically advanced, flexible, deployable, interoperable and sustainable1. ...

History

STANAVFORLANT was under the operational control of Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic until that command was decommissioned in 2003. Due to the resulting NATO realignment, STANAVFORLANT fell under the operational control of ACO. 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...

References and links

• official web page (http://www.manw.nato.int/manw/pages/organisation/snmg1.htm)
• DOD Responsibility Sharing Report 1999 (http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/allied_contrib99/rs99-chpt3.html)