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Mock Invasion Takes the Baltic

Exercise Expands

Throughout the BAL- TOPS exercise, im- pressive force numbers were commonplace. “The number of ships and aircraft participat- ing was significantly more than in previous years,” says Navy Lt. Sean Eklund, a public affairs officer with U.S. Naval Forces Europe- Africa. Ground, sea,

and air forces totaled 5,600 from 17 nations. The exercise took

O

n June 17, multiple waves of NATO-nation landing craft and two U.S. Navy hovercraft brought

some 700 multinational troops to a beach near Ustka, Poland, while attack helicop- ters and fighter jets provided close-air sup- port. The mock invasion was so successful it prompted U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, NATO’s supreme allied com- mander Europe, to remark he’d seen “an amazing exercise out on the water today.” But that was only one day’s worth of excite- ment during the NATO Baltic region exer- cise known as BALTOPS, held June 5-20, which recently concluded its 43rd iteration. A fleet comprising 49 warships and one submarine steamed out of Gdynia, Poland, June 8 as the operation began.

PHOTOS: ABOVE, SGT. A.M. LAVEY, USA; RIGHT, PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS AMANDA KITCHNER, USN

Overhead, a total of 61 aircraft joined in the exercise. A landing force from several nations came ashore at Ravlunda, Sweden, June 13 in a practice exercise ahead of the main event June 17. Participating U.S. forces included Marines from II Marine Ex- peditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., and U.S. Army paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade (above). In addition to the exercise’s massive and successful coordination effort, it was the first time a three-star Navy admiral, Vice Adm. James G. Foggo III, was in command of NATO forces, notes Navy Lt. Sean Eklund, a public affairs officer with U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. — Mark Cantrell

place in Sweden, Ger- many, and Poland as well as the Baltic Sea, and featured the addi- tion of Canada, Turkey, Belgium, and Norway. Until 2012, Russia also took part.

— Mark Cantrell

See an infographic of the naval component involved in BALTOPS. Download the MOAA Publications app on your iOS or Android tablet. Visit www.moaa .org/publicationsapp for more information.

SEPTEMBER 2015 MILITARY OFFICER 19