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 is 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. The current operation is conducted by a number of NATO military assets, to include 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