NATO Begins Maritime Exercises in Baltic Region
Forces from 17 NATO and non-member partner countries will carry out joint maritime exercises in the Baltic region over the next two weeks.
“Seventeen NATO and partner nations will participate in the 43rd iteration of the multinational maritime exercise BALTOPS 2015 in Poland, Sweden, Germany, and throughout the Baltic Sea, June 5-20,” the US Navy said in a statement.
The annual BALTOPS exercise will focus on interoperability among maritime forces on tasks such as air defense, maritime interdiction and anti-submarine warfare, according to the Navy. Participants are expected to bring 49 ships, 61 aircraft and one submarine.
The U.S. will lead the exercise on the ground, but NATO is responsible for organization. The participants are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The exercise will feature an amphibious landing with a combined force of U.S., Finnish and Swedish troops, and it will be led by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, known as STRIKFORNATO, the alliance’s maritime battle staff group. The Navy amphibious warship USS San Antonio will also participate in the exercise.
In late May, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is increasing military exercises in Europe as part of a response to alleged Russian actions in Ukraine.
Russia has organized similar military exercises over the past months in the Baltics, Black Sea and Arctic region to show resolve against NATO’s encroachment on its borders.
The exercise, which will run until June 20, is just one major multinational maneuver happening this month. Exercise Noble Jump, the first for NATO’s new quick reaction force, will take place in Poland from June 9 to 19.
