BALTOPS

Multinational association during BALTOPS 09

The US battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) , the West German destroyer Mölders (D 186) and the British destroyer HMS Liverpool (D92) during maneuvers in 1985

BALTOPS is a multinational maneuver that has been held annually in the Baltic Sea since 1971 . It is organized by the United States Navy . In addition to this, navies from other NATO countries were regularly involved from the start .

After the end of the Cold War

After the end of the Cold War , navies of the former USSR were also invited to participate in the BALTOPS as part of the Partnership for Peace . From 1993 they were involved in the planning and strategy development of the exercise, from 1997 they were also allowed to participate in the actual maneuver.

In 2008, 47 units from 13 countries took part. A war between the Baltic Sea countries Bluland and Midland was simulated as a scenario. The aim of the exercise was to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the navies involved.

In the 2015 BALTOPS maneuver, US B-52 bombers will practice for the first time to drop mines over Swedish territory. Karl Engelbrektson, Major General of the Swedish Armed Forces , said that a clear security policy signal should be sent.

BALTOPS 2016

During the BALTOPS maneuver in 2016, around 6,100 soldiers exercised from June 3rd to 19th. In addition to the USA as the lead nation (including the command ship Mount Whitney ) and Germany , soldiers, ships and aircraft from Belgium , Denmark , Estonia , France , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , the Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Spain and Great Britain (including LPH Ocean , frigate Iron Duke , mine-hunting boat Quorn); in addition there were the non-NATO countries Finland and Sweden . Again, US B-52 bombers took part.

The German Navy participated with the following forces:

• Task force provider  Berlin
• Frigate  Saxony
•  Siegburg hollow rod steering boat
• Speedboats S 80  Hyena , S75  Sable  and S76  Ferret
• Mine hunting boat Dillingen and Tender Donau as part of the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1  (SNMCMG 1)
• 1 platoon of the naval battalion on the Dutch landing ship  Johan de Wit
• Schnellboot S73  Hermelin and the Elbe tender  (temporarily)

Web links

Commons : BALTOPS  - Collection of Images

• Baltops on globalsecurity.org (Engl.)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Sweden and Finland practice emergencies. In: sueddeutsche.de. May 26, 2015, accessed June 13, 2017 . 
2. ↑ B-52 bombers to exercise over Sweden. In: Sveriges Radio . May 20, 2015, accessed June 13, 2017 . 
3. ↑ BALTOPS 2016. In: US Naval Forces Europe-Africa / US 6th Fleet. May 25, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016 . 
4. ^ US Navy Command Ship prepares for Baltops 2016. In: Naval Today. Retrieved June 4, 2016 . 
5. ↑ Polish Involvement In The baltops 2016 Exercise. In: www.defence24.com. Retrieved June 4, 2016 . 
6. ↑ Exercise baltops | Royal Navy. In: www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved June 4, 2016 . 
7. ↑ Baltops 2016. (No longer available online.) Merivoimat, archived from the original on June 4, 2016 ; Retrieved June 4, 2016 (Finnish). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ↑ Baltops 2016. In: Försvarsmakten. Försvarsmakten, archived from the original on June 29, 2016 ; Retrieved June 4, 2016 (Swedish). 
9. ↑ STRIKFORNATO | BALTOPS 16. In: www.sfn.nato.int. Retrieved June 4, 2016 . 
10. ↑ Thomas Wiegold: Exercise Watch: BALTOPS - NATO & Friends demonstrate strength in the Baltic Sea: eyes straight ahead. In: augengeradeaus.net. June 3, 2016, accessed June 4, 2016 .