MILAN — After NATO announced last month that it would beef up its naval presence in the Baltic Sea, Finnish media reported that the military alliance is expected to deploy up to 10 warships to protect undersea cables in the area against possible sabotage.
Allies held an emergency meeting on Dec. 30 at NATO’s headquarters to assess possible ways to enhance the security of critical underwater infrastructure following the suspected deliberate damage of the Estlink 2 submarine cable between Finland and Estonia.
“In order to maintain vigilance, increase situational awareness and deter future incidents, NATO is enhancing its military presence in the Baltic Sea,” a statement issued by the organization said.
This will entail sending up to 10 ships to guard underwater infrastructure, which would include both NATO assets as well as vessels from member states that may remain at sea until April, the Finnish newspaper Yle reported on Jan 7.
The Gulf of Finland will continue to be patrolled by Finnish and Estonian ships in particular, it added.
The military alliance does not have a Baltic fleet per se, rather operating Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, or SNMG1, an quick-reaction force consisting primarily of destroyers and frigates. The fleet’s former Danish commander handed over its command to Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Arjen S. Warnaar in a ceremony held in Norway on Jan 9.
RELATED
According to the Estonian ERR news outlet, SNMG1 will operate on a more frequent basis in the Baltic region in the future.
“If the Russians see that we are present there, the likelihood of such sabotage acts immediately decreases, because saboteurs can be caught in the act, and once caught, it’s much easier to deal with them,” Warnaar was quoted by the publication as saying.
These reports have not yet been confirmed by NATO officials.
A criminal investigation is currently pending with Finnish authorities regarding the oil tanker Eagle S, which, while sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, is suspected of being part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of vessels transporting sanctioned-Russian crude and oil products.
Officials have said they believe that the ship may have been responsible for causing the disconnection of Estlink 2.
The Gulf of Finland benefits from a ship reporting system, the GOFREP, which requires all vessels entering the area to report their destination, allowing officials to monitor vessel movements and stop them if they deviate from their projected course.
Estonia has also launched its own naval operation to safeguard the Estlink power cable.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
