Exercise Northern Coasts in the Baltic Sea involves over 30 warships and 3,200 personnel from 14 nations.
Starting on Saturday, 9 September 2023, the two-week exercise will primarily take place off the coasts of Estonia and Latvia.
Under the leadership of the German Navy, ‘Northern Coasts’ ranks among the largest exercises in the region, with this year’s drill uniquely emphasising high-end warfare and the collective defence of NATO Allies.
Acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White elaborated on the importance of the Baltic Sea to NATO, stating, “Seven – soon to be eight – NATO Allies border the Baltic Sea, so the area is of crucial importance to our Alliance.”
He further explained the changed dynamics of the region, emphasising, “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has radically altered the security situation in the Baltic Sea, and NATO has substantially increased its defensive presence in the region at sea, on land and in the air.”
White reaffirmed NATO’s commitment, asserting that exercises like Northern Coasts are a testament to the Alliance’s resolve to “defend every inch of Allied territory.”
Throughout the exercise, the Allies will focus on many military operations, including amphibious operations, air defence, sea-to-land strikes, and safeguarding sea lanes.
Integral units participating comprise the Standing NATO Maritime Group One and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One.
The list of participants spans Allies Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the U.S., and NATO invitee Sweden.
Significantly, this year’s exercise is administered for the first time from Germany’s newly-established Navy Command in Rostock.
No UK participating here? Any reason for this? Thought it would be right up the UK’s “shipping lane” so to speak.
Smallish Baltic? I think UK is more North Sea
Even just one vessel, seems a bit odd as building and maintaining relationships in the Baltic is pretty important at the moment. I know the RN did visit area previously and recently so maybe it’s been ticked as already “done”! Lol. 😆
One of the Bays with RM Commandos, elements of CLR and 24RE are present, with LRG(N) activity. Seen on Twitter.
Talking of Booties, those Ukrainians marines they trained have just recaptured all the Oil rigs Moscow took in between the Crimea and Odessa and they filmed themselves doing so:
The location of those Oil rigs:
https://i.postimg.cc/3xhhFv3m/F5u-mm3-WIAAI7-In.jpg
I didn’t realise there were rigs in the Black Sea. 🙄 Makes sense considering the Romanian Ploesti oil fields and those at Maikup, Grozhny and Baku that the Nazis tried to reach in 42.
What is the dot colour difference? Greys, next to those recaptured ones, for example?
Yes there are, , i read an obscure article last year which claimed that one of the reasons Putin went in was the prospect of Ukraine becoming energy sufficient (This includes the huge oil and gas deposits found in the east in 2013) if given the chance to develop them, not only would it have weaned the Ukraine away from Moscow politically and economically , but it would have allowed the Ukraine to supply Europe will all the oil and gas it needs , which would have lessened EU energy dependency on Moscow. I suspect that Putin presumed that if… Read more »
It all makes sense, doesn’t it.
Bloody Oil again. Just like Kuwait in 91.
France is present, so why not the UK?
The UK and France tend to be present at most NATO events.
I believe that we are busy with CSG23 starting, which involves lots of exercises with NATO units across the North Sea – Norwegian Sea. CSG 23 units will also enter the Baltic at some point as there are planned visits to Sweden etc, so imagine that this will be the UKs participation.
Will see UK sailors soon, I am not worried. RAF is on the other side of the front in Romania.
There will be some RN activity in the area over the coming months:
https://www.navylookout.com/2023-carrier-strike-group-deployment-begins/
Sorry Mark didn’t see this when I posted a reply to @Hermes.
Isn’t the RN quite busy at the moment? Besides it is probably a good idea for the likes of the UK, US and France to take a back seat occasionally.
Yes I agree, fact is in any hot Baltic conflict it’s States in that area who should lead, the UK will be far more Atlantic North and even Arctic sea orientated. Germany and Poland will grow their strength in the Baltic over time.
It’s a good idea to have exercised lead by others with non participation from uk or us as it encourages their own defence development.
It’s the USA that hollows out European defence capabilities as it’s always there with bigger and better stuff.
The Uk gets by this by offering niche capabilities to US lead operations but that’s expensive and out of the reach of most European budgets.
I don’t think it’s the USA that’s hollowed out European forces. It’s a lack of perceived threat and governments wanting to spend money else where.
The governments lack of understanding to what defence forces need to carry out roles is a problem. They just expect forces to be able to do whatever is asked of them.
Nearly all nato countries have increased defence spending apart from the U.K, USA and Croatia. Those 3 have actually decreased spending.
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_216897.htm
Why are we using the imperial system? Shouldn’t it say every centimeter?
Only the UK and US ‘know’ inches.
The clue is in the title…UKDJ
Someone is doing some serious flagging of posts. So many of mine disappear, then I get a message later.
Farouk put up something in his style on another uk air defence questioned in report and both his and my reply are gone.
It’s happening loads recently.
Yep, I have highlighted this too. My reply to Quinten on this article re Mount Bay in the Baltic has vanished.
Nice surprise today while walking along Southwold seafront, a pair of F16s screamed low from the north, then did a 180 degree turn when level with the pier. Earlier saw a pair of F15s while walking along the harbour & before that a C130 fairly low.
When I was a kid it was rare you’d get an hour without jets or choppers, but nowdays it is rare. The F16s made me wonder if there’s an exercise on as they’re very unusual hereabouts.