Georgian troops, sailors in Black Sea multinational Sea Breeze 2021 drills
The two Georgian vessels of the country's coast guard involved in the manoeuvres. Photo via Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
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Land and seaborne units of the Georgian Defence Forces and the coast guard of the country are joining their counterparts from no less than 31 countries in a large-scale Sea Breeze 2021 drills centred around the Black Sea region.
Launched this week and involving forces NATO member and partner nations, the manoeuvres are designed to "[strengthen] deterrence and defence with joint exercises and maritime patrols", the alliance said. It is co-hosted by the United States 6th Fleet along with the Ukrainian Navy.
Georgia has a platoon-sized unit of the 31st Battalion of the GDF involved in field exercises in the Kherson region in Ukraine's south, with a separate special forces unit of divers honing their skills in the country's Black Sea port of Odesa.
Just a few of the #countriesofSeaBreeze21 #Greece #Georgia #GER #Canada pic.twitter.com/cIgC8LC1x5
— Exercise Sea Breeze (@ExSeaBreeze) June 30, 2021
In addition, the GDF is represented by two officers from the General Staff at the naval staff of the exercise in Odesa.
Along with the armed forces, the Georgian coast guard has brought two of its vessels to join the seaborne element of the multinational manoeuvres. The Dioskuria and Ochamchire boats are operating with their counterpart ships in the surface action.
Additionally, the coast guard has boarding groups involved in the drills, and officers represented in the Odesa staff.
Around 5,000 personnel from 32 countries is taking part in the latest Sea Breeze edition along with 32 ships, 40 aircraft and 18 special operations and diver groups.
The Standing NATO Maritine Group 2 is part of the exercise. Photo: SNMG2.
The manoeuvres started only a few days after an incident involving a Royal Navy vessel and Russian forces near the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea.
HMS Defender, a destroyer of the British forces, was shadowed by Russian coast guard vessels and aircraft as it sailed near the peninsula - recognised by most of the world's countries as part of Ukraine despite its annexation by Russia in 2014.
The Defender was on its course to Georgia to join the country's coast guard in separate exercises this week. The Russian defence ministry claimed warning shots had been fired at the British ship and bombs had been dropped on its path, with both claims rejected by the MoD of the United Kingdom.
The Sea Breeze manoeuvres will run in several Ukrainian regions through July 10. Georgian units have been involved in the drills - launched in 1997 - since 2001.
Vessels from two nations have been involved in surface manoeuvres in the Georgian territorial waters this week, as the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender was joined by Georgian coast guard for drills. The Georgian interior ministry - under which the coast guard department operates - said the manoeuvres served to share experience, develop local capabilities and hone the skills of joint operation.
British Royal Navy air defence destroyer HMS Defender is making a port call in the Georgian Black Sea port in Batumi. The British Embassy in Tbilisi says the purpose of the ship visit was 'to demonstrate close cooperation between UK and Georgia promoting defence and security in the Black Sea region'.
Land and sea assets as well as staff from the Georgian Defence Forces will participate in Sea Breeze 2021 multinational drills led by the United States and Ukraine hosted in the Black Sea regions of Ukraine starting next month.
Georgian Coast Guard was among navies from NATO member states and partners last week marking over two decades of partnership for Black Sea security through the Sea Breeze 2020 maritime drills.
The Georgian coast guard service released the assessment of its participation in Sea Breeze multinational defence drills in Ukraine and Black Sea, concluded last weekend, in its celebration of Georgian Coast Guard Day on Friday.
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