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Annual Maritime BALTOPS Exercises

June 8, 2001

The 29th Annual Maritime Exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2001 is taking place in the Baltic Sea from June 1-18.

The United States and 13 other nations will participate in this year's exercise. BALTOPS will include 50 ships, 3 submarines and 20 aircraft from Baltic Sea nations and Partnership for Peace (PFP). Countries to include: Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Nearly 4000 navy men and women will meet in Gdynia, Poland for the opening ceremony.

BALTOPS is intended to improve interoperability with Baltic Sea nations and PFP countries by conducting a peace support operation at sea including exercises in gunnery, replenishment-at-sea, undersea warfare, radar tracking, mine countermeasures, seamanship, search and rescue, and maritime interdiction operations.

BALTOPS 2001 demonstrates maritime member solidarity and enhances mutual understanding and coordination of maritime operations. The emphasis of this exercise is on regional stability, regional understanding and cooperation among the participating forces. According to Rear Admiral John W. Townes, the officer conducting the exercise, this is an opportunity for every nation involved to better understand, learn and develop effective relationships with each other. BALTOPS 2001 serves as an excellent cooperative training opportunity for the participating navies.

Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr., Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, is the exercise sponsor. Rear Admiral Townes, Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Eight, based in Norfolk, Virginia, will command the exercise from his flagship USS Cape

St. George.

The maritime exercise will end with a joint visit to Kiel, Germany.