NATO’s largest maneuver in the Baltic Sea with the aim of deterring Russia

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, the Austrian newspaper “De Presse” wrote in an article: The largest maneuver of the NATO fleet begins today (Friday) in the Baltic Sea. According to the information of the United States of America, more than 50 warships and submarines, more than 85 planes and helicopters and more than 9,000 troops are participating in this operation called “Operation Baltic 24” (Baltop), and this year Sweden is the first NATO member participates in this exercise.

Baltap is a series of annual exercises that started in 1971. The United States has naturally invited other NATO countries to participate in the exercise, but neutral Sweden and other non-NATO countries have also occasionally participated in it, at least in the past year. At that time, at Baltops 23, the first show was held with Finland as a newly established NATO country. Sweden and Finland, both long neutral or non-aligned, have entered NATO’s military camp as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s threatening moves. This has made Russia the only Baltic Sea neighbor that is not a member of NATO. According to US information, the focus of this year’s 53rd Balltop exercise, which continues until June 20, is mine detection, submarine hunting and It is an amphibious operation and of course it is related to the entire field of naval warfare, including anti-ship, air defense, coastal bombardment and unmanned underwater and surface vehicles. In this maneuver, it lists all NATO members, including the United States, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. are. Romania, England and Turkey are also participating in this exercise.

Admiral Thomas Ishii, commander of the US 6th Fleet, which is in charge of the Mediterranean and the Eastern Atlantic, said that not only because of the current participation Sweden under the NATO flag, Baltops 24 can be seen as a clear deterrence signal against Russia. The Baltic Sea fleet of this maneuver is based in the St. Petersburg region and specifically in the Kaliningrad region in the Baltic Sea of ​​Russia. The Russians traditionally target NATO maneuvers with aircraft, ships and electronic information. In previous years, such as in 2008 and 2011, Russia even participated as a partner in this annual exercise.

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