Over 2,200 troops and 135 sea-going and riverine vessels, aircraft and vehicles are taking part, April 8 – 21, in training in the coastal area of the Black Sea, as well as in the Danube Delta, under the multinational exercise „Sea Shield 24,” in which 12 NATO member and partner states take part.

According to the Romanian Navy, the 12 nations are Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, the UK, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and the USA. Also participating will be other branches of the Romanian armed forces, along with national defence bodies.

„More than 2,200 troops and 27 sea-going and riverine vessels, 17 aircraft and 91 vehicles and boats will train in the coastal area of the Black Sea, the Danube River, and Danube Delta in missions to combat illegal activities at sea and inland, maritime and inland control, search and rescue at sea, providing assistance to a ship in distress and ensuring security at the level of critical infrastructure,” the Romanian Navy Staff reported on Monday.

The multinational exercise „Sea Shield 24” is the most complex event led by the Romanian Navy under the Vice-Amiral Ioan Georgescu Navy Command in the training year 2024, contributing to promoting Romania’s initiatives and interests regionally and internationally, as well as to increasing the level of interoperability among the participating forces. At the same time, it is designed to optimise the interinstitutional effort and synchronise Navy planning cycles in co-operation with the other branches.

The opening ceremony of the exercise took place on Monday morning in the port of Constanta.

AGERPRES