Commodore Bradley Peats of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) officially assumed command of Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) during a change of command ceremony held in Lisbon, Portugal today.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity and privilege of leading SNMG1 and look forward to building upon the successful deployment of Commodore Mirones, his flagship Corte-Real, and the outgoing SNMG1 staff. In an uncertain global environment, we are proud to contribute to NATO’s assurance and deterrence measures in Western and Northern European waters, including the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and their maritime approaches.”

Commodore Bradley Peats, Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group One

“I would like to congratulate Commodore Peats on his appointment as Commander of SNMG1. I have no doubt he will be a leading example of the professionalism and commitment of our Canadian Armed Forces to NATO’s assurance and deterrence mission in Europe under Operation REASSURANCE. His appointment speaks to the recognized excellence of our CAF leaders and Canada’s important contribution to NATO, as we have contributed Royal Canadian Navy ships on a regular basis since 2014 to Standing NATO Maritime Groups One and Two, as well as commanding both groups on several occasions. Bravo Zulu!”

Lieutenant-General Christopher Coates, Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command

• Standing NATO Maritime Group One is a multinational deterrent force that carries out a robust programme of operational deployments as well as complex training exercises and events with national navies to build and maintain the highest levels of readiness, interoperability and war fighting capabilities.

• NATO Standing Naval Forces presence and activities promote and preserve unfettered access to the global ocean commons and help maintain freedom of the seas and freedom of navigation throughout all international waters which is central to the Alliance’s security and economic prosperity.

• Canada is committed to NATO’s principle of collective defence, which is at the heart of the Alliance’s founding treaty. The CAF is proud to lead or otherwise make substantive and enduring contributions to the cooperative defence activities of NATO in the air, on land, and at sea.

• Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Halifax is currently deployed with Standing NATO Maritime Group One as part of Operation REASSURANCE, Canada’s contribution to NATO regional assurance and deterrence measures.

• HMCS Halifax departed its namesake homeport of Halifax, Nova Scotia on January 1, 2021, and replaced HMCS Toronto, which deployed with SNMG1 from July to December 2020. HMCS Halifax is now the flagship for the SNMG1 command team and headquarters staff throughout the remainder of its deployment.

• Canada last commanded a Standing NATO Maritime Group from June to December 2019, when Commodore Josée Kurtz commanded SNMG2.

• Since 2014, the Canadian Armed Forces have deployed Royal Canadian Navy frigates on a persistent rotational basis to be employed for exercises and operational tasks in the NATO Maritime Command's areas of responsibility.

Associated links

• NATO Allied Maritime Command
• Standing NATO Maritime Group One
• Op REASSURANCE
• Royal Canadian Navy

Virtual media interviews with Commodore Peats are available upon request. Please contact the Media Relations Office for more information:

 

Media Relations

Department of National Defence
Phone:  613-904-3333
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca