From February 24th to March 6th, the Dynamic Manta manoeuvre will take place in the Mediterranean. The German Navy is participating in the large submarine hunting exercise of the NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization with one of its sea reconnaissance aircraft Orion.
Sea reconnaissance aircraft P-3C Orion (Picture source: Bundeswehr / Carsten Vennemann)
Dynamic Manta, a two-week marine manoeuvre, is a multinational exercise that takes place every year in the central Mediterranean. The German Navy is represented by a P-3C Orion maritime patrol. A total of 72 naval pilots from Nordholz are at the US United States military base in Sigonella, Sicily, for the duration of the exercise. Two aircraft crews, technicians and other support personnel ensure that the manoeuvre runs smoothly.
Dynamic Manta is a special NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organizations manoeuvre that focuses on the defense against submarines. Ships, helicopters and airplanes with their crews, like gears, must mesh and act together in order to find and fight the target. The annual Dynamic Manta offers above all the Mediterranean partners of the NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization the opportunity to optimize their capabilities on a larger scale.
" For us, Dynamic Manta is the most important U-hunting exercise of the year," emphasizes frigate captain Heiko Millhahn, commander of the flying group in Naval Aviation Squadron 3 "Graf Zeppelin". “Here, together with our allies, we can practice and deepen existing tactics and doctrines as well as test new methods and examine their effectiveness. It also offers an excellent framework for exchanging experiences with other users of Maritime Patrol Aircraft like our Orion. "
Seven warships, four submarines, five sea reconnaissance aircraft and eight helicopters from a total of ten Allied countries are participating in the two-week exercise. France, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Canada, France, Spain, the USA United States of America, Great Britain and Germany are doing this year.
