A two-week naval exercise under German leadership starts on Monday off the coast of Latvia and Estonia. More than 3,000 soldiers from 14 countries are taking part in this year’s edition of the “Northern Coasts” exercise, including those from the Baltic Sea as well as Italy, France, Canada and the USA. Around 30 ships and boats – including a submarine, numerous aircraft and various land units – belong to the maneuver group.
The exercise, led by a staff in Rostock around 1,000 kilometers away, is intended to improve the allies’ common understanding of the Baltic Sea. For the first time, according to the Navy, “Northern Coasts” is based on an alliance defense scenario. On Monday, the units that had previously assembled in the port of Riga and off the coast were due to set sail for the first exercises. According to the Navy, this involves mine clearing, maritime target shooting, submarine hunting, electronic warfare, cooperation with reconnaissance aircraft, landing operations and the protection of ports.
The large-scale exercise has been held every year since 2007, with Germany taking turns leading it with Denmark, Finland and Sweden. At the beginning, the focus of “Northern Coasts” was on preparing marines for piracy and terrorism, but now it is about national and alliance defense, especially on NATO’s eastern flank. The trigger was the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.