Submarines are force multipliers on the naval battlefield and can wreak havoc against an adversary fleet if employed properly.
NATO is currently holding its largest anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Mediterranean Sea. Dozens of warships, aircraft, and six submarines are taking part in the ongoing “Dynamic Manta 25” exercise, with one goal: preparing NATO’s submarine fleet for combat with a near-peer adversary like Russia or China.
NATO Submarines in Action
From late February until the middle of March, thousands of troops and dozens of warships and combat aircraft have gathered in the Mediterranean to work on one of the most challenging mission sets in modern warfare: anti-submarine operations, or finding and sinking enemy subs.
The challenge involves surface warships and aircraft, but is not limited to surface craft. Half a dozen subs from France, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and the United States are playing on the opposite team—trying to “sink” the surface combatants and logistical vessels participating in the exercise.
“The aim of Dynamic Manta is to provide all participants with complex and challenging warfare training to enhance interoperability and proficiency in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare skills,” NATO announced in a statement. Each participating unit will have the opportunity to conduct a variety of submarine warfare operations.”
The six subs will take turns attacking and defending against the surface combatants.
“By practicing coordinated operations against both conventional and advanced undersea threats, NATO continues to demonstrate its commitment to safeguarding the strategic waterways that connect member states,” Commander Submarines NATO, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Bret Grabbe said in a press statement.
This year’s iteration of the exercise is hosted by Italy, and more than ten countries, including the United States, are participating.
“Exercises like Dynamic Manta help NATO maintain the edge when it comes to anti-submarine warfare,” Grabbe added. “By practicing coordinated operations against both conventional and advanced undersea threats, NATO continues to demonstrate its commitment to safeguarding the strategic waterways that connect member states.”
Submarines are force multipliers on the naval battlefield and can wreak havoc against an adversary fleet if employed properly. Indeed, a well-trained sub crew can even take out an aircraft carrier with its torpedoes—as a Swedish submarine did during a 2006 exercise, sending shockwaves through the aircraft carrier community.
Europe’s Special Operations Forces on Display
This year’s iteration of the exercise will have a special operations forces flavor. For the third time in the 12 years of the exercise, NATO special operations units will have a prominent role in the training. For example, the exercise’s planners have scheduled a simulated mission in which Greek commandos will operate from an Italian submarine, clandestinely landing on shore to conduct a precision strike. Special operations forces are force multipliers and can have an outsized effect on the battlefield; the ability of some special operations units to operate from submarines offers additional options to commanders and vastly increases the threat factor for adversaries.
“The capability of Allied SOF teams to cooperate with Allied submarines from different nations represents a force multiplier for NATO,” the alliance’s statement read.
For instance, in a potential near-peer conflict with Russia, NATO commandos operating from submarines could take out important area defense systems on the Crimea Peninsula—thus paving the way for an amphibious assault or allowing air assets to establish air dominance over the battlefield more easily.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Aleksandr Merkushev.
