Operation Active Endeavor

Operation Active Endeavour
Part of the Global War on Terrorism
Date October 2001 – November 2016 (15 years and 1 month) Location Mediterranean, Strait of Gibraltar Result over 128,000 ships monitored (as of 2016[update]); 172 ships boarded; 488 escorted ships (until May 2004); Indirect tightened control of black market trafficking lines in the Mediterranean; the rescue of civilians on various stricken oil rigs and sinking ships
Belligerents
NATO  Albania  Bulgaria  Canada  Croatia  Denmark  Estonia  Germany  Greece  Italy  Norway  Poland  Portugal  Spain  Turkey  United Kingdom  United States Non-NATO:  Georgia  Israel  Morocco  New Zealand  Russia (2006)  Ukraine	Unspecified terrorist and smuggling groups

 NATO

Non-NATO:

Operation Active Endeavour was a maritime operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It operated in the Mediterranean Sea and was designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. It had collateral benefits in enhanced security of shipping in general. It was one of the first military actions taken by NATO in response to an invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty which provides for collective defense and the first ever operation conducted by the Alliance in direct application of the defence clause of the Treaty. In November 2016 it was replaced by the non-Article-5 Operation Sea Guardian.

The operation began on 4 October 2001 as one of the eight NATO responses to the 11 September attacks, although it did not formally begin until 16 October. The naval assets of Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED), which were participating in Exercise Destined Glory 2001 off the southern coast of Spain, were reassigned in order to provide an immediate NATO military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. Prior to its cessation, the operation was conducted by a number of NATO military assets, including the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) and Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2).

On 4 February 2003, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) decided to extend Operation Active Endeavour to include escorting non-military ships traveling through the Strait of Gibraltar to maintain security in the area and to secure the safe transit of designated Allied ships.

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Wikipedia