ATLANTIC OCEAN: South Africa's naval force led the charge in the opening of a multinational exercise off the south-western coast of Africa.

The combined exercise between the South African Navy and Nato's Standing Maritime Group 1 (NSMG1) began with formation manoeuvres off the Western Cape yesterday.

NSMG1 is one of Nato's four immediate reaction maritime forces.

The group is a key element in the organisation's response force and has seven missions, including counter-terrorism, crisis response, non-combat evacuation, embargo and humanitarian relief.

The manoeuvres, performed 15 nautical miles out to sea, are part of the NSMG1's two-month exercise in which six Nato warships are to circumnavigate Africa.

Leading the six-nation fleet were South Africa's newly acquired Heroine submarine, the SAS Mathatisis, and Miko class frigates, the SAS Amatola and SAS Isandlawana.

The exercise with the SA Navy is to involve warfare tasks that will see some of the world's best naval forces pitted against South Africa in sea battles using submarines, warships, helicopters and fighter jets.

The exercises, said NSMG1 commander Rear Admiral Michael Mahon, were aimed at developing integration and co-operative skills between South Africa and Nato.

Mahon said one of the aims of the group's circumnavigation of Africa was to gain an awareness of the threats to maritime security in the southern Atlantic and Indian Ocean.

The International Maritime Bureau reports that there were 37% more pirate attacks on ships in the second quarter of this year than in the same quarter last year.

Burnell-Nugent said building a full picture of possible maritime threats to global security "enables a powerful coalition of nations and military and civil agencies to effect an international response".

With acknowledgements to Graeme Hosken and Cape Times.