The 50th Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise, the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region, takes place in the Baltic Sea from June 6-18.
The press release issued by the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet, as follows;
This milestone exercise demonstrates a steadfast commitment to NATO and continues to change to meet evolving regional security requirements.
Air and maritime assets from NATO allies and partner nations are involved in the live training events. Training focus areas include integration of air defense, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, mine countermeasure, and amphibious operations.
The exercise enhances flexibility and interoperability among allied and partner nations to strengthen combined response capabilities, as well as demonstrate international resolve to ensure stability in, and if necessary defend, the Baltic Sea region.
BALTOPS 50 involves participation from 18 nations. The 16 NATO and 2 partner nations will provide approximately 40 maritime units, 60 aircraft, and 4,000 personnel.
The participating nations are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S.
To ensure the safety and health of participating military personnel, BALTOPS 50 will take precautionary COVID mitigation measures. This step allows units to enhance multinational operational cooperation while ensuring that crews remain healthy and ready to provide continuous regional security.
Initiated in 1972, BALTOPS is an annual exercise that is a visible demonstration of NATO’s commitment to promoting peace and security in the region by exercising an international team of forces that can rapidly respond in a time of crisis.
Managed by STRIKFORNATO, the previous (49th) iteration of BALTOPS was conducted in June 2020 with the participation of the same nations. BALTOPS provides a terrific opportunity for Allies and partners to improve interoperability and warfighting skills while learning from each other. The Baltic Sea region is considered a chessboard between Russia and NATO because of its geopolitical position. The participating countries, especially the U.S., pay big importance to the BALTOPS exercise series to keep the relationships with the allies strong, increase interoperability, and show presence to Russia.
Check out Naval Library App to find out the specifications of the participant units.
