NAPLES, Italy — NATO’s annual anti-submarine exercise Noble Marlin kicks off Thursday in the Ionian Sea southeast of Sicily.

The exercise, known as Dogfish in previous years, will run through March 16.

Six submarines, 10 maritime patrol aircraft and 16 surface ships will take part in Noble Marlin, which the alliance is billing as “the world’s largest anti-submarine warfare exercise.”

The exercise will be run from Commander, Submarines Allied Naval Forces and Commander, Maritime Air, both based in Naples.

U.S. forces include aircraft from the Sigonella, Sicily-based Patrol Squadron Five and staff assigned to the two Naples-based headquarters.

Noble Marlin includes forces from 10 NATO nations, ranging from Turkey to Canada.

According to an alliance press release, the exercise is designed to keep forces proficient in coordinated anti-submarine, anti-surface and coastal surveillance operations.

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