US, NATO allies to launch scaled-back Baltic Sea drills

ROSTOCK, Germany — The U.S. and NATO allies will launch scaled-back drills in the Baltic Sea this week, as conflicts in other regions draw ships away, though the exercise will still send a message of unity and strength to Russia, a senior German military official said.

The annual exercise, held for more than five decades since 1971, brings together some 20 vessels from 15 nations with around 6,000 personnel - roughly half the size of last year’s drills - during a period of heightened tensions in the Baltic region.

Officials say the smaller footprint reflects operational realities rather than waning commitment, as Western navies remain tied up in other areas including the Middle East’s Strait of Hormuz and the Arctic.

The US BALTOPS naval exercise, which takes place from June 4 to June 20, will still be the biggest maneuver in the Baltic Sea this year, with Washington providing the flagship Mount Whitney vessel, despite months of fierce criticism of NATO by U.S. President Donald Trump and plans to cut U.S. commitments to the alliance.

While the U.S.-led exercise is not designed as a direct response to current events, German Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch said the timing inevitably amplifies its political relevance.

“In this period, it is a sign of the alliance’s strength, that a major exercise is being conducted, under U.S. leadership, with broad NATO participation”, he said. “It is a sign of the alliance’s unity and strength, and I am speaking of all allies here.”

As Commander Task Force Baltic, Haisch is in charge of a multinational naval headquarters for the Baltic Sea, established by Germany in the coastal city of Rostock in 2024 amid a growing focus on the area as tensions with Russia grew.

His headquarters is capable of leading NATO operations in the Baltic Sea during a conflict with Russia and will do so for the upcoming US BALTOPS drills which are traditionally planned by the U.S.

Securing vital sea routes

BALTOPS will begin with drills in the western Baltic before shifting eastward to rehearse resupply and protection of free sea routes around the Swedish island of Gotland - a core task for NATO as the region’s strategic importance has grown.

Open sea routes are seen as critical, particularly for supplying the Baltic states - linked only by a narrow land corridor to NATO’s mainland - in a crisis.

“Free sea lines of communication - that is central,” Haisch said, pointing to the need to safeguard military logistics as well as commercial shipping.

Asked about past incidents in the Baltics attributed to Russia by Western officials, Haisch said he did not expect Moscow to cross a threshold that would trigger NATO’s collective defense clause, known as Article 5, even as tensions remain elevated.

“I would assume Russia to stay below the Article 5 threshold if they seek to test us.”

德国罗斯托克——一位德国高级军官表示，由于其他地区的冲突分散了舰船的注意力，美国及其北约盟国本周将在波罗的海举行规模缩小的演习，但此次演习仍将向俄罗斯传递团结和力量的信息。

这项自 1971 年以来已举办了五十多年的年度演习，汇集了来自 15 个国家的约 20 艘舰艇和约 6000 名人员——大约是去年演习规模的一半——正值波罗的海地区局势高度紧张之际。

官员们表示，规模缩小反映了作战现实，而不是承诺减弱，因为西方海军仍然被牵制在其他地区，包括中东的霍尔木兹海峡和北极。

尽管美国总统唐纳德·特朗普数月来对北约进行了猛烈抨击，并计划削减美国对北约的承诺，但美国仍将派出旗舰“惠特尼山”号参加今年在波罗的海举行的“波罗的海行动”海军演习，该演习将于6月4日至20日举行。

尽管美国主导的此次演习并非旨在直接回应当前事件，但德国海军少将斯特凡·海施表示，演习的时机不可避免地放大了其政治意义。

他说：“在这个时期，由美国领导、北约广泛参与的大规模演习，正是联盟实力的象征。这体现了联盟的团结和力量，我指的是所有盟国。”

作为波罗的海特遣部队指挥官，海什负责管理一个多国海军总部，该总部由德国于 2024 年在沿海城市罗斯托克建立，旨在加强对波罗的海地区的关注，因为随着与俄罗斯的紧张关系加剧，德国对该地区的重视程度也越来越高。

他的总部有能力在与俄罗斯发生冲突时领导北约在波罗的海的行动，并将负责即将举行的美国波罗的海行动（BALTOPS）演习，该演习历来由美国策划。

确保重要海上航线的安全

“波罗的海行动”演习将首先在波罗的海西部进行演练，然后向东转移，演练在瑞典哥特兰岛周围进行补给和保护自由海上航线——随着该地区战略重要性的增加，这已成为北约的核心任务。

开阔的海上航线被视为至关重要，尤其是在危机时期，对于向波罗的海国家（仅通过一条狭窄的陆路走廊与北约大陆相连）提供物资至关重要。

“畅通无阻的海上交通线至关重要，”海什说道，他指出需要保障军事后勤和商业航运的安全。

当被问及西方官员将波罗的海地区过去发生的事件归咎于俄罗斯时，海什表示，尽管紧张局势依然高涨，但他并不认为莫斯科会越过触发北约集体防御条款（即第五条）的门槛。

“我认为，如果俄罗斯想要试探我们，他们会遵守第五条规定的门槛。”