Nineteen NATO nations, one NATO companion nations, 50 ships, greater than 45 plane, and 6,000 personnel will take part in BALTOPS 23.
Began in 1972, BALTOPS is an annual train that visibly demonstrates NATO’s dedication to preserving regional peace and safety by exercising a workforce of worldwide forces that may quickly reply in a time of disaster.
Taking part nations embody Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, the UK, and the USA.
Although Finland has lengthy participated in BALTOPS as a vital companion, BALTOPS 23 marks the primary incorporation of Finland as a NATO Ally. BALTOPS stays an alliance proving floor, and is important for honing the forefront of mixed interoperability in mine countermeasures, unmanned floor automobile operations, and built-in maritime and air operations.
This yr’s train options, for the primary time, strong coaching in personnel restoration utilizing unmanned floor autos. One other enhancement to BALTOPS23 is the collaboration of sixteen chaplains representing three completely different religion/life stance traditions from eight collaborating nations. Their focus is to advertise the power of spirit that allows Sailors and Marines to perform the mission with honor. These additions – together with others underwater and house area, will construct on final yr’s BALTOPS 2022 situation story strains, together with the mixing of the NATO Area Heart for house area situations.
Whereas the train is led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet, it will likely be command-and-controlled by Naval Placing and Help Forces NATO, headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal.
Particulars of BALTOPS actions and imagery can be found at http://www.c6f.navy.mil. Media eager about protecting the train ought to contact the U.S. Naval Forces Europe Public Affairs Workplace at mail to: cne_cna_c6fpao@us.navy.mil
