The multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze 2021 has officially begun. From the Georgian side, the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defence are participating in the exercise.

This year, the Coast Guard Department of the MIA Border Police will be participating in the maritime exercise with two patrol ships DIOSKURIA and OCHAMCHIRE. Along with the crew, the Coast Guard Boarding Team will also take part in Sea Breeze 2021.

The 31st Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the Western Command of the Georgian Defence Forces will take part in the field exercise as part of the Sea Breeze 2021. The Special Operations Forces Dive Team will participate in a naval diving exercise in the port of Odesa.

Also, five officers of the MIA Coast Guard and the Ministry of Defence will be working at the Sea Breeze 2021 headquarters.

U.S. Sixth Fleet and the Ukrainian Navy are cohosting the multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze 2021. The exercise is taking place from June 28 to July 10 in the Black Sea region. The annual exercise involves sea, land, and air components, and aims to enhance interoperability among participating forces and increase the joint capabilities to ensure regional maritime security. This year’s iteration has the largest number of participating nations in the exercise’s history with 32 countries from six continents providing 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft, and 18 special operations and dive teams scheduled to participate.

Bedsides Georgia, there are 31 participant countries: Albania, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Senegal, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is also taking part in the maritime exercise.

The multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze has been taking place in the Black Sea since 1997. The Georgian side has been participating in the exercise since the very first year. Last year, the Coast Guard patrol ship DIOSKURIA (P25) participated in the exercise.