2023-09-09 12:54:09
Berlin (AFP) – Germany and 13 other NATO member countries begin this Saturday, under the command of the European country, an important naval military exercise in the Baltic Sea, a show of force once morest the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
First modification: 09/09/2023 – 14:54 Last modification: 09/09/2023 – 14:52
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Some 30 ships and submarines, up to 19 aircraft and various ground units will participate in the “Northern Coasts 23” exercise, the German navy said in a statement on Saturday.
More than 3,200 soldiers will train “for the first time (…) in a realistic scenario within the framework of NATO defense,” explained fleet admiral Stephan Haisch.
In previous years they were mainly preparing to block attacks by pirates, terrorists and traffickers, or to participate in international missions.
This time they will focus on port defense and amphibious attacks on land targets. The goal is to optimize cooperation between the naval, land and air forces involved, the German navy explained.
The operations, which will last until September 23, will essentially take place in the coastal waters of Estonia and Latvia, including the associated land and air spaces, and in the central and eastern part of the Baltic Sea.
These two former countries of the former Soviet Union, now members of NATO, have a border with Russia, which also regularly carries out exercises in this sea.
Germany launched these exercises in 2007, and the United States, France, Italy, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden will participate in the 2023 edition.
© 2023 AFP
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