The navy was French-trained and organized.[3] Officers were initially sent to Brest Naval Training Centre in France, as the Military School in Bucharest did not have a naval section.[1] The first Commander-in-chief of the navy was Colonel Nicolae Steriade. The base was first established in 1861 at Izmail, but it was later relocated in 1864 at Brăila and in 1867 at Galați. The equipment was modest at best, with 3 ships from Wallachia and 3 from Moldavia, manned by 275 sailors.[1] The main goal of the navy was to organize, train and expand this small force.