The annual Northern Coasts (Noco) naval exercise in the Baltic Sea has begun. Eleven countries, including Sweden, participate.
This year, the German navy is responsible for the exercise – but it is led, planned and executed in cooperation with the Estonian and Latvian navies, as it takes place in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, mainly around the Baltic states.
The exercise, which began on Saturday and runs until September 22, is the largest so far since it began to be held in 2007. More than 3,000 people and about 30 ships from the eleven countries are taking part.
The corvette HMS Nyköping has been sent from Sweden. On board there is, among other things, an EOD team, specialized in munitions clearance on land and in water, as well as staff officers.
This year’s exercise focuses primarily on maritime surveillance, coastal and air defense, surface combat, and landing operations with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the participating countries.
“The serious global situation makes our participation in Noco 23 extra important. We are showing presence and our ability and willingness to cooperate with other nations, but above all with NATO,” says Viktor Tornerhjelm, ship commander at HMS Nyköping, in a press release from the Swedish Armed Forces.