Romanian interim defense minister Radu Miruta signed, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, the Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding with Bulgaria and Turkey, expanding the Mine Countermeasures Task Group in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea TG) to include the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.
According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, the signing of the document during the NATO Summit showed the three countries’ common commitment to strengthening security in the Black Sea and developing allied cooperation in the maritime domain.
“Through missions carried out by the Romanian Naval Forces together with regional partners, the maintenance of a permanent naval presence in the area of responsibility is ensured, including throughout Romania’s Exclusive Economic Zone, not only as a deterrence measure but also as an immediate response instrument,” the institution noted in a press release.
The Memorandum of Understanding regarding the establishment of the Mine Countermeasures Task Group in the Black Sea was signed on 11 January 2024 by the defence ministers of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, establishing the first trilateral initiative of this type among the three allied states bordering the Black Sea.
The main mission of the MCM Black Sea TG is to ensure freedom of navigation in the waters of the Black Sea through surveillance missions, actions to neutralize potential hazards to maritime traffic, as well as related search and rescue activities at sea.
Since the group became operational on 1 July 2024, ten activations of MCM Black Sea have been carried out. Command is exercised on a rotational basis, for six-month mandates, with Romania holding command from 9 July 2025 to 8 January 2026. Currently, command is ensured by Turkey, and it will be taken over by Bulgaria starting July 9.
The minehunter M 271 “Captain Constantin Dumitrescu” will participate, between 9 and 24 July 2026, in the 11th activation of MCM BS TG, with the main mission of monitoring the maritime area of responsibility and ensuring freedom of navigation in the maritime areas where training activities will take place as part of the multinational Exercise BREEZE 2026.
(Photo source: LGA|Dreamstime.com)
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