Allied Maritime Command Naples Allied Maritime Command ( MC ) Naples ( MC Naples ) was a subordinate command of Allied Joint Force Command Naples . MC Naples operated from the island of Nisida in the Gulf of Pozzuoli and its commander reported directly to the Commander Allied Joint Force Command Naples ( Com JFC Naples ) . The command was deactivated in March 2013 . History . A formal NATO naval force in the Mediterranean was not created until the early 1950s when the position of Commander - in - Chief , Allied Forces Mediterranean ( AFMED ) was created . AFMED was commanded by the British commander of the British Mediterranean Fleet . A second naval force , Naval Striking and Support Force South ( STRIKFORSOUTH ) was which consisted of ships of the United States Sixth Fleet that had been designated for a NATO role was also created . This force was commanded by a U . S . admiral . In June 1967 , AFMED was deactivated and a new force , Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe ( NAVSOUTH ) , was created . NAVSOUTH was a subordinate command under the Commander - in - Chief , Allied Forces Southern Europe ( CINCAFSOUTH ) . The NAVSOUTH area of responsibility was broken down into four geographical subordinate commands : Gibraltar / Mediterranean ( COMGIBMED , commanded by the commodore in charge of British Forces Gibraltar ) , Central Mediterranean ( COMEDCENT ) , Eastern Mediterranean ( COMEDEAST ) , and North - eastern Mediterranean ( COMEDNOREAST ) . A further reorganization resulted in the Commander U . S . Fleet Air Wing Mediterranean and the US Commander Submarine Flotilla 8 being re - designated as , respectively , Maritime Air Forces Mediterranean ( COMMARAIRMED ) and Commander , Submarines Mediterranean ( COMSUBMED ) . In May , 1999 , a permanent naval mine countermeasures unit was created for the Mediterranean . The new unit was designated the Mine Counter Measures Force Mediterranean ( MCMFM ) and was subordinate to the Com NAVSOUTH . On 1 September 1999 , the NATO force structure was reorganized . As result of this reorganization four Mediterranean maritime commands ( COMEDCENT , COMEDEAST , COMEDNOREAST , COMGIBMED ) were stood down , and COMSUBMED and COMMARAIRMED were transformed in special entities of NAVSOUTH , as COMSUBSOUTH and COMMARAIRNAPLES . In July 2004 , the designation NAVSOUTH was changed to Allied Maritime Component Command Naples ( CC - Mar Naples ) . Along with name change came new expanded roles and missions . A further re - designation occurred on 1 January 2005 , when STANAVFORMED and MCMFORMED were renamed , respectively , Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 ( SNMG2 ) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Force Group 2 ( SNMCMG2 ) . On 1 March 2010 , Allied Maritime Component Command Naples ( CC - Mar Naples ) was renamed Allied Maritime Command ( MC ) Naples . Allied Maritime Command Naples was disbanded on 27 March 2013 as part of a program to streamline NATO ' s command structure . Its responsibilities were transferred to Allied Maritime Command , located at Northwood in the United Kingdom . Mission . The mission of COM MC Naples was to " plan , conduct and support the full range of military operations anywhere in the world in order to deter aggression , contribute to effective crisis management and promote peace , security and stability . " As such , it was responsible for the oversight , planning , coordination and execution of the full range of maritime - related tasks that could include humanitarian and disaster relief operations , maritime security or full - scale military operations . On 24 October 2008 , COM MC Naples was given responsibility for Operation Allied Provider , which was NATO ' s maritime operation to combat piracy off Somali coast in support to World Food Program ( WFP ) chartered vessels . This operation ended 12 December 2008 , after the EU Operation Atalanta became operational . In February 2011 , due to the civil war occurring in Libya , the United Nations authorized an arms embargo against Libya . To enforce this embargo , NATO started Operation Unified Protector which included both air and maritime elements . The maritime portion of the operation fell under the command of COM MC Naples . Operation Unified Protector officially ended on 31 October 2011 , after the Libyan rebels had formed a transitional government . Structure . MC Naples was one of three subordinate commands of Joint Force Command Naples . It was located on the island of Nisida , in the Gulf of Pozzuoli , which in turn is part of the Bay of Naples . It was commanded by an Italian three - star Admiral with staff coming from 17 countries including Albania , Bulgaria , Canada , France , Germany , Greece , Italy , the Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Romania , Slovenia , Spain , Turkey , the United Kingdom and the United States . Israel also provided a liaison officer . COM MC Naples controlled two maritime Immediate Reaction Forces ; the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 ( SNMG2 ) and the Standing NATO MCM Group 2 ( SNMCMG2 ) . Besides SNMG2 and SNMCMG2 , two further commands , Commander Maritime Air Naples ( COMARAIRNAPLES ) and Commander Submarines Allied Naval Forces South ( COMSUBSOUTH ) were also subordinate to COM MC Naples .