Operation Active Endeavour

Operation Active Endeavour
Part of the Global War on Terrorism
Date 4 October 2001 – 9 November 2016 (15 years, 1 month and 5 days) Location Mediterranean, Strait of Gibraltar Result Over 128,000 ships monitored (as of 2016[update]); 172 ships boarded; 488 escorted ships (until May 2004); Indirect tightened control of black market trafficking lines in the Mediterranean; The rescue of civilians on various stricken oil rigs and sinking ships[2]
Belligerents
NATO  Belgium  Canada  Czech Republic  Denmark  France  Germany  Greece  Hungary  Italy  Luxembourg  Netherlands  Norway  Poland  Portugal  Spain  Turkey  United Kingdom  United States  Bulgaria (from 2004)  Estonia (from 2004)  Latvia (from 2004)  Lithuania (from 2004)  Romania (from 2004)  Slovakia (from 2004)  Slovenia (from 2004)  Albania (from 2009)  Croatia (from 2009) Non-NATO:  Georgia  Israel[1]  Morocco  New Zealand[2]  Russia (2006)  Ukraine  Bulgaria (until 2004)  Estonia (until 2004)  Latvia (until 2004)  Lithuania (until 2004)  Romania (until 2004)  Slovakia (until 2004)  Slovenia (until 2004)  Albania (until 2009)  Croatia (until 2009)	Unspecified terrorist and smuggling groups

Operation Active Endeavour was a maritime operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It operated in the Mediterranean Sea and was designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. It had collateral benefits in enhanced security of shipping in general. It was one of the first military actions taken by NATO in response to an invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty which provides for collective defense and the first-ever operation conducted by the Alliance in direct application of the defense clause of the Treaty. In November 2016 it was replaced by the non-Article-5 Operation Sea Guardian.