The Cold War may be over -- but the warm climate of Bermuda is just a stop-off for the multnational NATO force tasked with responding to new-style emergencies as well as its traditional job of providing sea-going military muscle.

Now the NATO rapid response watchdogs of the sea are as likely to find themselves in a surveillance role in the new war against drugs -- or combatting natural disasters or civil unrest instead of the Soviet submarine menace.

And NATO force flag officer, US Navy Rear-Admiral Tom Wilson, said the job of the multi-national force may have changed with the collapse of the Soviet Union -- but that the organisation's rapid response role remains vital to world security.

Admiral Wilson explained: "Our mission is to be prepared to react immediately.'' He added NATO's role in the Cold War stand-off was largely military -- ocean patrolling, anti-submarine warfare and patrolling sea lanes -- "things which had a real purpose in the Cold War days.'' But he added: "This exists now to a lesser extent -- but we're expanding into new areas, non-combat evacuation work and humanitarian assistance.

"If a community is having civil unrest and embassy personnel or expatriates need to be taken out of there, that's the kind of mission we're taking on.

"And humanitarian assistance would go the full range -- natural disasters to warring factions which create a bad situation for innocent third party folks who want to be somewhere else.'' But he stressed the traditional maritime warfare role of the STANAVFORLANT -- Standing Naval Forces Atlantic -- was still practiced for, with the six-strong fleet just having finished a major exercise and with another to follow.

Admiral Wilson said: "There was this great feeling of a peace dividend which was going to come about when the wall came down in 1989 -- but you look at the timeframe from then, across the world you can see there have been any number of needs for a military operation, some of them traditional, either fighting a war or preventing people from doing that.'' And he cited the European civil wars in Bosnia and Kosovo as cases where NATO had been called into action.

Admiral Wilson added the force had taken a surveillance role in the drugs war earlier this year while on patrol in the Caribbean.

And he agreed -- like policemen on the beat -- his force's military might would act as a deterrent to crime.

He said: "We did provide some surveillance in the area to counter narcotics.'' But he added: "We do not participate in any police action, but we would provide information -- just like a person not engaged in police work might phone the police if they saw a crime being committed.'' And he added: "Just being there is a part of it.'' Admiral Wilson -- who flies his flag on the American destroyer USS Moosebrugger -- is in charge of five other ships.

The rest of the force -- all frigates -- is made up of the Royal Navy's HMS Campbeltown , the Canadian HMCS Fredericton , the German FGS Neidersachsen , the Dutch HNLMS Bloys Van Treslong and the Spanish SPS Reina Sofia .

They arrived in Bermuda on Friday from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and will leave for West Africa on Monday.

And Admiral Wilson is well qualified to command his ships -- in peace or in war.

The graduate of the US Navy's prestigious Naval Academy, Annapolis, was deployed to the Arabian Gulf during the Gulf War of 1990 -- less than two months after taking over his first command.

He later returned to the Gulf in charge of another ship to enforce UN sanctions against Iraq.

His medals include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal.

He said: "I've brought about 1,000 sailors to Bermuda -- those thousand, those young men and women, many of them are here for the first time.

"It's a beautiful place and they are going to experience a different scene and culture.'' The fleet's in: Britain's HMS Campbeltown escorted by one of its high-speed Gemini inflatables enters Hamilton Harbour.

Morning arrival: Germany's FGS Neidersachsen sails in under dawn skies Going Dutch: Co-ed sailors aboard the HNLMS Bloys Van Treslong secure stations.

NATO neighbours: The Royal Navy's HMS Campbeltown lies alongside the German Neidersachsen in Hamilton Harbour.