Swedish, American troops carry out exercises on the Baltic Sea

[Boats]

Swedish, American troops carry out exercises on the Baltic Sea
By: Nord News - 06-18-22
Re: https://nord.news/2022/06/18/swedish...he-baltic-sea/

Photo link: https://cdn.bignewsnetwork.com/cus1655269104039.jpg

GOTLAND, Sweden: US Marines and the Swedish Armed Forces have made airdrops and amphibious landings on the island of Gotland, with a population of 58,000, as part of a NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea, entitled BALTOPS.

About 7,000 soldiers and 45 ships from 14 NATO countries as well as Sweden and Finland participated in the exercise.

Although the annual BALTOPS exercise is not being held in response to a specific threat, this year’s exercise comes amid rising tensions with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Despite its non-aligned status, the war in Ukraine led the Swedish and Finnish governments to seek full membership in NATO last month. NATO’s 30 member states will discuss the issue this month.

“I feel really prepared. I mean, we have made a big effort on Gotland, and we will defend Gotland. It is a really difficult task to take a defended island”, says Swedish Colonel Magnus Frykvall, regimental commander on Gotland. which is strategically located in the middle of the southern part of the Baltic Sea.

After the end of the Cold War, the Gotland regiment was closed in 2005 when Sweden reduced its military, but Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 led to the closures being reconsidered and a new regiment established on Gotland in 2018.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, further reinforcements will be added to the 400 Swedish soldiers permanently based on the island.

During the launch of the BALTOPS exercises last weekend in Stockholm, US General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized the importance of NATO’s allies “showing solidarity with both Finland and Sweden.”

In connection with the NATO exercises, Russia’s Baltic Navy began its own military exercises this week.

In a statement, the Russian press service said: “There are more than 20 warships and boats in the Baltic Sea fleet, which perform combat tasks both individually and as part of ship search and strike groups and ship strike groups.”
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Also;

On this site are three more links - if interested?

1. Swedish, American Troops exercise on remilitarized Baltic Sea Island
2. Sweden: a history of neutrality ends after 200 years
3. NATO aspirant hosts American, French and German waships
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