On Sunday, June 5, the exercises called BALTOPS 22 will begin in the Baltic Sea. Exercises by the North Atlantic Alliance will last nearly two weeks and will be participated by 14 countries. One of the two largest ships of the British Navy is already sailing to the Baltic Sea – the aircraft carrier HMS “Prince of Wales”.

Apart from Poland and Great Britain, the following countries will take part in the exercises: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the United States. Finland and Sweden are also invited to participate in BALTOPS 22. In total, 45 ships, 75 aircraft and about 7,000 soldiers will take part in the manoeuvres.

The aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales will make its first appearance in the Baltic Sea. It can accommodate up to 35 F-35 fighters and four multi-role Merlin helicopters. Its crew consists of 1,450 people.

BALTOPS sea manoeuvres have been organized by NATO since 1972 in the Baltic Sea. From 1993, new countries from the former Eastern Bloc, including Poland, were invited to participate in the manoeuvres.

The main goal of the BALTOPS exercises is to increase the interoperability of the naval forces of NATO and partner countries under the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. The manoeuvres place particular emphasis on the harmony and teamwork of ship crews, thus allowing for the extension of the training level.

BALTOPS is an exercise that confirms the role of NATO’s naval forces in the international security system. Together with the NOBLE JUMP and SABER STRIKE manoeuvres, they act as the “Allied Shield” group that demonstrates that the members of the Alliance are united in the implementation of collective defense.

Adrian Andrzejewski