Finnish Navy, allies increase surveillance in Baltic Sea

The Finnish Navy will participate in the Baltic Sentry mission with both nationally led and NATO-led vessels, said Finnish Defence Forces in a press release on Wednesday.

NATO’s enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA) in the Baltic Sea is an integral part of the alliance’s collective defence.

For the Finnish Navy, the enhanced NATO activity means increased presence at sea, heightened surveillance and exchange of information as well as increasing amount of exercising with the allies.

During the next weeks and months, several Navy vessels and units will participate in the cooperation, depending on the situation and requirements of the mission.

In addition to nationally led vessels, the Finnish Navy will deploy one Hamina class missile boat to the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) during January and February, starting soon. The vessel will operate in the Baltic Sea region.

“NATO’s contribution to surveillance in the Baltic Sea is indicative of the alliance’s ability to respond to any situation. - Enhanced presence in cooperation with other authorities safeguards sea connections and infrastructure that are vital for all of us, and we are closely involved in this cooperation,” said Deputy Chief of Staff Navy Operations, Captain Marko Laaksonen.