Last Saturday, NATO began a major military exercise in the Baltic Sea, involving fourteen countries, including the United States, in a show of force against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
About 30 surface ships and submarines, up to 19 aircraft and several land units are involved in the “Northern Coasts 23” exercise under German command, the German Navy said in a statement.
More than 3,200 soldiers will train “for the first time since the start of these maneuvers in 2007, in a realistic scenario within the framework of NATO defense”said Admiral Stephan Haisch, quoted by the French agency AFP.
In recent years, NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea have mainly focused on preparing for attacks by pirates, terrorists and human traffickers, or on participation in international missions.
The operations, which are expected to last until September 23, will take place mainly in the coastal waters of Estonia and Latvia, including their land and airspace, and in the eastern and central parts of the Baltic Sea.
The two countries of the former Soviet Union, now members of NATO, border Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The exercises are led by Admiral Haisch from Rostock, a port city in northeastern Germany.
It is the first time that the German navy “plans and leads maneuvers of this order of magnitude,” he said.
The training will mainly focus on the defense of ports, but also on amphibious attacks on land targets.
The aim is to optimize cooperation between the naval, land and air forces involved, the German Navy explains.
The “Northern Coasts” exercises were launched by Berlin in 2007, with alternating command from Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
In addition to Germany, the 2023 edition also includes the United States, France, Italy, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.
Russia also regularly holds military exercises in the Baltic states, as recently as August.
According to the German Navy, the maneuvers will not take place near Kaliningrad, the small Russian territory within the European Union, to avoid any provocation.
After the Russian war against Ukraine, Finland became the 31st member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), while Sweden awaits ratification by Turkey.
Source: DN
