BERLIN: Germany opened a new NATO naval command centre on Monday to boost defence readiness in the Baltic Sea region as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
The new centre, named Commander Task Force Baltic, will be responsible for directing naval operations in times of peace, crisis, and war, according to German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in the port city of Rostock, Pistorius emphasized the strategic importance of the region.
“The relevance of the region has become even more evident against the backdrop of the ongoing Russian aggression in our immediate neighbourhood,” he said.
The command centre will be led by a German admiral and staffed by personnel from 11 other NATO member countries, including the newly joined alliance members Finland and Sweden.
The centre’s mission is to coordinate naval activities in the Baltic Sea region and provide NATO with a constant maritime surveillance capability, ensuring round-the-clock situational awareness.
Germany’s intelligence community has recently expressed concerns over Russia’s potential to launch an attack on NATO by 2030. Berlin has also accused Moscow of increasing espionage and sabotage activities directed at Western nations.
“In Germany and Europe, we witness that Russian aggression manifests in various ways, such as cyber and hybrid threats which continue to blur the lines between peace and war,” Pistorius said. He said that NATO must stand firm in its defence strategy.
“We must ensure that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not have his way. We must defend ourselves and do whatever we can to support our partners at NATO’s eastern flank,” he added.
The newly established centre will include 180 personnel, with representatives from Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden, collectively working to bolster NATO’s maritime defence capabilities in the Baltic.
