Charles F Adams (DDG 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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Hfagciils--V -L1-F 7 I I ii . 5 1 i i f? f i ,V H sf' 5 Wi fx Le, i W fi W t i 1 S l l iz ii JL HW f 'MM J s 24,4 -Q5 7 ww 1-W M 5 -1 '25 Standing Naval Force sailors and American Marines post the colors at SACLANT's twentieth anniversary ceremony.

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Standing Naval Force Atlantic During a typical operation, the squadron may find itself pitted against the combined strength of 'enemy' submarines, naval aircraft, and swift torpedo boats, all at the same time. The squadron also serves to demonstrate the solidarity and unity of the NATO nations by showing the flags of various member nations in a single, multi-national force. During any given year, the NATO naval squadron may visit some 30 ports in 10 countries where open house days and various people-to- people programs provide citizens with the opportunity to judge for themselves the feasibility of a multi- national unit to operate in harmony. ,, fL4T'k '? 7 A' 1

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' -Y -1 ,, , f 1 1 ,. ar- s:5F,,4ci4?I 52-E-1X ,.. 1 .g.2?3fif5f5.':1Tv.tca.. -, Q- .-. - -gr ,f-..ZTIR f T'T 'i '.1'::-- ', 1' ' W' ' Another lmportant functlon of the Stand1ng Naval Force IS 1tS ava1lab1l1ty and read1ness for 1mmed1ate deployment to the scene of any posslble contlngency sltuatlon to reafflrm the s0l1dar1ty of the NATO Alllance and provlde a v1s1b1e deterrent force Should thls occasron arlse the squadron would also posslbly have to meet Its fourth 0bj6Ct1VC wh1ch calls for provldmg the 1n1t1al elements around wh1ch a more power ful and versatlle NATO naval force could be formed The Standmg Naval Force IS deployed throughout the vast 12 m1ll1on square m1le North Atlantlc whlch IS crossed by the Western world s major sh1pp1ng lanes Here more than 3 000 merchant vessels can be found on any day NATO countrxes are presently operat1ng approxlmately two th1rds of the world s tonnage of ocean go1ng cargo vessels ln support of a large portlon of the1r forelgn trade Confronted Wlth the ever lncreasmg flgures 1n SOV16t naval constructlon the countrles of the NATO A111 ance found It necessary to reappralse the1r overall defensxve strategy Wh1le naval un1ts of the Alhance had been operat1ng together for very br1ef perlods over a number of years It was not unt1l February of 1965 that naval vessel of several countrles partlclpated 1n extended BXGTCISCS lastmg approxlmately SIX months Dubbed Exerclse Match Maker I II and III 1n successlon the annual tra1n1ng perlods continued through 1967 The success of Match Maker convlnced many that a permanent 1nternat1onal force was feaslble The Stand1ng Naval Force Atlantlc was first act1vated on January 13 1968 at Portland England after havmg been approved 1n full at the NATO MlDlSt6T13l Meetlngs 1n Brussels the prevlous December The flrst sh1ps to Jom STANAVFORLANT were the Br1t1sh frlgate HMS BRIGHTON the Dutch frlgate HNLMS HOLLAND the Norweglan frxgate HNOMS NARVIK and the Amerlcan destroyer USS HOLDER Slnce that tlme sh1ps from the NATO member natlons of Canada Denmark the Federal Repubhc of Germany the Netherlands Norway Portugal the Unlted Kmgdom and the Unlted States have played a v1tal role 1n NATO s permanent multl natlonal force ' , 7 7 - , . . . ' 1 s . . . , , 7 - . 2 1, - a a 1 s s u 1 Q s ' , 1 1 7 7 I Y . , . . ' ' ' T T44 'L ' -