The Alliance has held large-scale exercises in the Black Sea near Bulgaria that became a member of NATO in 2004, along with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
During the exercises the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) was comprised of the flagship USS Vicksburg and six more ships from Canada, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey.
Anti-aircraft and antisubmarine exercises were simulated, as well as basic maneuvers of ship-handling.
It is not the first exercises NATO has organised in Eastern Europe lately to assure allies of commitment to collective defense. The Alliance intended to prove that its members should not fear of Russian military activity amidst the crisis in Ukraine.
After the annexation of Crimea Russia’s weapons became closer to Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.
