A large group of NATO ships entered the Baltic Sea today. The approach was carried out by two groups through the Danish Strait of the Great Belt and through the Kiel Canal in Germany. Interfax reports this with reference to an informed source.
According to reports, the alliance squad includes at least 15 nato warships, including the US Navy landing ship Fort McHenry with marines on board. The new arrivals will join the ships of NATO's First Standing Naval Group already in the Baltic and will all take part in the large-scale NATO naval exercise BALTOPS 2019, which will be held from 9 by 21 June in the Baltic Sea.
The upcoming exercises will be attended by 18 member countries of the alliance, as well as NATO partners. About 12 thousands of troops, 44 warships and 40 aircrafts. The exercise will take place off the coast of Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark. Basic goals – landing operations, the fight against surface and submarine forces, repelling air attacks of a potential enemy.
The exercise will be commanded from the command ship Mount Whitney., which entered the Baltic Sea 31 May this year. General management of the exercise is entrusted to the command of the 2nd Operational Fleet of the US Navy., recreated a year ago specifically to counter the Russian Navy in the North Atlantic.
