The first group was formed in the Belgian port of Ostend May 11, 1973 and went by the name of Standing Naval Force Channel being under control of so-called English Channel Force Commander. The purpose of the appointment of the Standing Group was primarily to ensure the safety of navigation and approaches to ports in the English Channel and the North-West Europe. In the event of a conflict with the
Warsaw Pact countries the Group was to change the operating area for the North Sea over West Germany. Initially, the team belonged to mine ships from countries which also today make up the Group: Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Two more countries (Norway and Denmark) joined the team in year 2000, when the team was reorganized. The operating area of the Group was significantly expanded, and the name changed into Mine Countermeasures Force Northern Europe. Defining new threats and thereby increasing the spectrum of tasks to their elimination, led the team to becoming a global-scale group, which could operate in almost every corner of the world. Changes in the nature of the Group and the subsequent change of name to NATO Response Force MCM Force Northern Europe were approved at the NATO summit in Prague in 2002. In the same year the group was joined by ships from the new members of NATO: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The team changed its name two times since. In January 2005 that was: Standing NRF Mine Countermeasures Group One, and exactly one year later: Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One, which is the name used nowadays. In view of the fact that the Group consists of ships of different flags, its command is rotating annualy. During exercises an international maritime staff operates as well. Since January 2023, the group has been led by Royal Norwegian Navy Officer CDR Ole Torstein Sjo.
