*9üsc; ------V J f i T j Y. — A THE NATO COMMANDS ‘A* T he strategic area covered by the N orthc A tla n ti • % ~ . T reaty is divided into three regional Commands — ' the Atlantic Ocean Command, the European Command, and the Channel Command — plus a Regional Planning Group for the North American Area. W ithin these areas, the NATO Commanders are responsible in peacetime for the development of defence plans, the determination of force requirements, and for the training and exercise of the forces under their Command. CINCHAN AND THE CHANNEL COMMAND Under thellied A Commander-in-Chief Channel (CINCHAN), the Allied Command Channelovers c the English Channel and the Southern Areas of the North Sea. The area is subdivided into four subordinate Commands — the Nore, Plymouth, Benelux and Maritime Air Commands. CINCHAN's mission is to control and protect merchant shipping in the area, co-operating with SACEUR in the air defence lk of the Channel. In emergency, the forces earmarked to Channel Command are predom inantly naval but include maritime air forces. THE MISSION STANDING STANAVFORCHAN has four basic objectives NAVAL To improve effective multi-national naval teamwork by providing continuous mine counter measures experience and training. FORCE To demonstrate the unity and common purpose of the Alliance by showing the flags of CHANNEL member nations operating togethere .in a single forc To be capable of acting as an immediate reaction force in times of crisis or tension. Welcome Aboard To provide the elements for the formation of a more powerful NATO naval force in the area of Allied Command Channel, if required. ^ \ N ot r h wood THE BACKGROUND Inaugurated on 11 May, 1973, NATO's Standing Naval Force Channel — STANAVFORCHAN — is a permanent multi-national naval squadron of mine counter measures vessels. Flying the NATO flag, the squadron carries out a programme of scheduled exercises, manoeuvres and port visits throughoutlied Command the A l Channel area. .......... The Channel is one ofl d'sthe busiest wor shipping areas and NATO member countries i| depend on continuous free access to its sea lanes for foreign trade and commerce. In the event of war or emergency, the Channel Commandrtant would lifeline be an impo for the reinforcement of Western Europe, but its vulnerability to seamines stresses the vital im portance o f mine counter measures craft fo r the area. THE SHIPS OF STANAVFORCHAN Two types of ship are in the Force — minesweepers and minehunters. Both use different techniques to counter the mine menace. Minesweepers deal with buoyant mines by cutting their moorings and destroying them by gunfire.Sunken mines are provoked to self-destruction by simulating the magnetic and acoustic influence fields of big ships. Minehunters approach the task in a different fashion. By searching ahead with their sonars, they can detect minelike objects for positive identification and destruction with explosive charges. Both minesweepers and minehunters have an average complement of four Officers, six Senior Ratings and twentyfour Junior Ratings. THE FORCE STANAVF O RCHAN is composed of between five and ten minesweeper and minehunter type ships operating. Ships arecontinuously drawn from as NATO one naviesunitlly norm a operating in the Channel are assigned to STAN AVFO R CH AN fo r six to twelve months on a rotational basis. The Force Commander is selected from one o f the contributing NATO navies for a twelve month tour of duty. Ship's companies perfect techniques of operating together by constant practice between ships and by personnel exchanges within the Force. Operational command of STANAVFORCHAN is exercised by the Allied Commander-in-Chief Channel (CINCHAN) from his Headquarters at Northwood, near London. Belgium, Federal Republic of Germany, Netherlands and U.K. are regular contributors to the Force. In addition, Denmark's, Norway's and United States' ships join the Force from time to time. UK "HUNT" CLASS MINE COUNTER MEASURES VESSEL BELGIAN NAVY O CEAN GOING MINEHUNTER/SWEEPER —■ ■■■I ■■—- R f. l S__ W .