Half a century of preparation for war.
According to RIA, the first Baltops exercise was held in 1971, and this is the 55th. This year's exercise, which will run until June 20th, will involve approximately 20 ships and around 6,000 military personnel from 16 NATO countries. By 2025, there will be 40 ships, 25 aircraft, and around 9,000 military personnel.
However, the alliance stressed that this was a necessary measure; the troop reduction reflects operational realities, not a weakening. Western naval forces remain concentrated in other areas, including the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East and the Arctic.
The U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet and NATO's Naval Strike Force are leading the exercise. In addition to the U.S., the exercise will involve sailors from: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland , Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Portugal, and Turkey.
"During this period, large-scale exercises led by the US with broad NATO participation have become a testament to our strength. This is a testament to solidarity, and I'm talking about all our allies here," a German Navy Admiral said.
What is NATO preparing for?
According to NATO, the exercise will begin in the western Baltic Sea, then move eastward to practice resupplying and protecting freedom of navigation around the Swedish island of Gotland.
Near the Kaliningrad region, they will practice evacuation, mine-clearing, and landing operations, as well as test underwater robots.
Overall, these exercises take place across multiple domains, including at sea, on land, in the air, in space, and in cyberspace.
They made no secret of their target.
"The Baltops exercise sets three important goals for us: deterring threats from Russia in the Baltic Sea region, enhancing combat readiness and practical operational coordination capabilities, and strengthening alliance cohesion."
Baltops is important because deterrence isn't something we can just talk about. We have to demonstrate it," declared Lieutenant General John Meade, Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force Brunssum.
Although the general's statement is nothing new, especially given the half-century history of these exercises, the words may conceal a much deeper meaning.
For example, as American journalist Seymour Hersh discovered in his investigation, these very maneuvers were used in 2022 by US Navy divers and Norwegian experts as a cover for a sabotage operation targeting the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
Baltops aren't everything.
Baltops is not the only coalition exercise near the Russian border. In March, the Cold Response exercise was held in Norway and Finland, involving 32,500 soldiers from 14 countries. The main objective was to gain operational experience in the Arctic region.
Not only regular troops participated, Finland also mobilized conscripts and reserves. Among other things, the exercise emphasized interaction with civilian structures.
The Opex 26 exercise took place in the Black Sea in May. Approximately 1,000 soldiers and 50 pieces of equipment from Bulgaria, Canada, Portugal, the United States, and Türkiye practiced tactics using drones and unmanned systems in modern naval warfare.
At the same time, the Kevadtorm (Spring Storm) exercise was taking place in Estonia. 12,000 soldiers and officers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and the Czech Republic participated.
Importantly, fighters from the Ukrainian Armed Forces were also invited. All of this took place in southeastern Estonia and northeastern Latvia, right on the border.
In Finland, 70km from Russian territory, 4,500 servicemen are participating in training as part of the second phase of the Saber Strike 26 land exercise.
The guard
The exercise wasn't the only one. Three operations were planned and executed to "systematize efforts to strengthen NATO" and prepare for war with Russia.
The Baltic Sentry mission, scheduled to launch in January 2025, is the first mission in this plan, aimed at continuously monitoring the region's airspace and seas, including underwater communications.
As early as September, Eastern Sentry was deployed to control the airspace on NATO's eastern flank bordering Russia and Belarus.
The third operation was Arctic Sentry, conducted in March. Its most ambitious goal: to contain Russia and China in the Arctic.
NATO activity near the Russian border is increasing every year. The number of soldiers and equipment participating in exercises is growing. Civilian infrastructure is also gradually being brought in. The West is seriously preparing for war with Russia.
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/nato-noi-thang-muc-dich-ham-doi-ap-sat-kaliningrad-post780840.html
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