Around thirty surface ships and submarines, up to 19 aircraft and several land units are participating in the “Northern Coasts 23” exercise under German command, the German navy announced in a press release.

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”, indicated Admiral Stephan Haisch, cited by French agency AFP.

In previous years, NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea were mainly aimed at preparing to face attacks by pirates, terrorists and traffickers, or to participate 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 associated land and airspace, as well as 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 has “planned and carried out maneuvers of this order of magnitude,” he said.

The training will focus in particular on port defense, but also on amphibious attacks on land targets.

The aim is to optimize cooperation between the naval, land and air forces involved, explained the German navy.

The “North Coast” exercises were launched by Berlin in 2007, with alternating command from Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

In addition to Germany, the 2023 edition involves 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 Baltics, as recently as August.

According to the German navy, the maneuvers will not take place near Kaliningrad, the small Russian territory located within the European Union, to avoid any provocation.

Following Russia’s war against Ukraine, Finland became the 31st member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), while Sweden awaits ratification by Turkey.

PNG//ZO

By Impala News / Lusa

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