The international BALTOPS 2025 exercises are about to begin

Polish Navy units have set course for the regular NATO exercises codenamed ‘Baltops 2025’. ‘Participation in such manoeuvres is an ideal opportunity to test one’s skills in an international setting. Because if you’re going to train, you should train with the best,’ reads a post on the Navy’s social media.

Baltops is the largest naval exercise in the Baltic Sea, also including land and air components. This year’s exercises will involve around 40 ships, 25 aircraft and 9,000 soldiers from 17 countries, including the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Polish Navy will be represented by the frigate ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko, the corvette ORP Kaszub designed to search for and combat enemy submarines, the base minesweepers ORP Nakło and ORP Mamry, as well as the SH2G helicopter.

The main objective of the operation is to practise the response of international forces to threats at sea. The exercise demonstrates the interoperability of allies, while ensuring NATO’s commitment to the common security of all member countries.

The Baltops naval manoeuvres have been organised in the Baltic Sea since 1972. Initially, it was an exercise involving North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces. Since 1993, new countries from the former Eastern Bloc, including Poland, have been invited to participate in the manoeuvres. Since then, the Baltops exercise has been organised as part of the Partnership for Peace programme. Currently, it is an international exercise based mainly on joint maritime operations, with a particular focus on submarine search and combat, mine warfare, air defence and amphibious operations.

The exercises begin tomorrow, Thursday, 5 June, and will last until 20 June.

Source: PortalMorski.pl