Naval forces from the United States, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom have begun Exercise Sea Breeze 25-2 in Portland, England.
The second iteration of Sea Breeze 25 is a mine countermeasures (MCM) focused exercise taking place from June 30 to July 11, 2025.
Participating forces will conduct mine hunting operations utilising mine countermeasure vessels, explosive ordnance disposal teams, dive and salvage operations, unmanned underwater vehicles, and unmanned surface vessels.
The US Navy said Sea Breeze 25-2 offers NATO Allies and partner nations the opportunity to enhance interoperability and warfighting capabilities within the Black Sea region. This includes staff planning, command and control, and tactical execution with a particular focus on integrating diverse systems and capabilities within a complex, multi-domain environment.
“The core message of Sea Breeze 25-2 is clear," said Rear Admiral Mike Mattis, Director, Strategic Effects, Commander US Naval Forces Europe/Africa Commander, Task Force 66.
"Exercises like this increase the ability of NATO allies and partners to collaborate and operate in a high intensity, joint operating environment building the preeminent military capabilities necessary to win. Training as one unified, lethal force ensures our collective security and improves our overall warfighting capabilities."
The participating naval forces will demonstrate their expertise in a range of maritime skills. This includes mine hunting operations, the safe disposal of explosive ordnance, precision diving and salvage techniques, and the effective deployment of unmanned underwater and surface vehicles.
The exercise will culminate in a demonstration that will combine these individual capabilities, which the US Navy said would further strengthen the cohesion and warfighting effectiveness of allied and partner forces.
At the Sea Breeze 25-2 Headquarters, a combined and multinational HQ staff will conduct integrated training with a focus on planning and targeting capabilities, command-and-control of ally and partner forces, electronic warfare exploitation and countermeasures, and the integration of unmanned systems to increase and consolidate cross-domain awareness.
This year, Exercise Sea Breeze 2025 occurred in two iterations, Sea Breeze 25-1 and 25-2. The first iteration, Sea Breeze 25-1, was hosted by the Romanian Armed Forces at Smardan Range, Romania, from June 1 to 20.