The BALTOPS 24 annual multinational maritime exercise takes place in the Baltic Sea.

The press service of the United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa reported on this.

This year’s training was marked by the largest airborne and mine countermeasures groupings in the nearly 70-year history of the exercise.

The countries involved in the exercise are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The exercise is led by the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, and is commanded and controlled by the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), headquartered in Airaça, Portugal.

STRIKFORNATO’s headquarters will house a large multinational coalition of liaison officers from each participating country.

BALTOPS plays an important role in developing a high level of interoperability with NATO countries in the Baltic region.

The exercise started on June 7, 2024, and will end on June 20. It involves more than 50 ships, over 85 aircraft, and about 9,000 military personnel.

As previously reported, in May 2024, a large-scale military exercise, Spring Storm, involving thousands of soldiers from different countries, starts in Estonia.

The exercises involve active military aviation activities throughout Estonia using various types of aircraft, such as planes, helicopters, and drones.

The Spring Storm is the largest annual exercise of the defense forces, which aims to train various units of the Estonian army and interact with NATO allies.

Previously, in April, the Lithuanian-Polish military exercise Brave Griffin 24/II took place in the Suwalki corridor.

During the exercise, 1,500 soldiers of the Infantry Brigade named after the Great Lithuanian Hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, together with their allies, are rehearsing defense scenarios in accordance with the bilateral Lithuanian-Polish Orsha Plan.