OEIRAS, Portugal - The 52nd iteration of Baltic Operations 2023 (BALTOPS 23), NATO’s premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region, began from Tallinn, Estonia, on June 4.
BALTOPS remains the most significant annual exercise in the Baltic Sea and is a tremendous opportunity for allied and partner nations to train together – building trust across the air, land, and sea forces while improving interoperability
Twenty nations, 50 ships, more than 45 aircraft, and 6,000 personnel will participate in BALTOPS 23. Participating nations include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While Sweden joins as a Partner, Finland – after participating many years as a critical Partner - this year, for the first time is incorporated as a NATO Ally.
As in previous iterations, the air operations for BALTOPS are integrated into NATO’s Air Surveillance and Control System ensuring interoperability of multinational air assets enabling realistic training.
"BALTOPS remains the most significant annual exercise in the Baltic Sea and is a tremendous opportunity for allied and partner nations to train together – building trust across the air, land, and sea forces while improving interoperability,” said Rear Adm. James Morley, STRIKFORNATO deputy commander who will command the exercise control group Morley.
NATO’s northern Combined Air Operation Centre (CAOC) Uedem, Germany, coordinates and controls NATO Air Power in support of BALTOPS 2023 again. Archive photo by NATO/Arnaud Chamberlin
Air operations for BALTOPS are integrated into NATO’s Air Surveillance and Control System ensuring interoperability of multinational air assets enabling realistic training. Archive photo courtesy US Sixth Fleet.
NATO's Space Centre at Allied Air Command participates in BALTOPS for the second time enabling Space domain scenarios ensuring comprehensive and challenging multi-domain operations. Archive picture by NATO/Arnaud Chamberlin.
NATO’s northern Combined Air Operation Centre (CAOC) Uedem, Germany, once more builds on the experience from previous years and coordinates and controls NATO Air Power in support of the BALTOPS exercise on behalf of Allied Air Command at Ramstein, Germany. Located at Ramstein, the NATO Space Centre is part of BALTOPS for the second time enabling Space domain scenarios ensuring comprehensive and challenging multi-domain operations.
“Fresh from the completion of exercise Formidable Shield 23, and concurrent with Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group operations in the North Atlantic, BALTOPS 23 commences as a tangible indication of commitment to collective defense capability across the NATO Alliance. We continue to meet the security challenges of today, and prepare for tomorrow, through interoperability and seamless integration in real world operations. Rising above these challenges takes teamwork and trust,” said Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee, commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) and U.S. Sixth Fleet.
Started in 1972, BALTOPS is an annual exercise that visibly demonstrates NATO's commitment to preserving regional peace and security by exercising a team of international forces that can rapidly respond in a time of crisis. While the exercise is led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet, it will be command-and-controlled by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal.