MAGAZINE
FALL 2021
The Standing Naval Forces in the Baltic Sea region include SNMG1 and SNMCMG1 , which regularly visit the principal ports along the Baltic coast ; taking time out from their security patrols and mine-hunting tasks . These tasks include considerable efforts to clear the littoral coast from historical ordinance – unexploded mines and munitions left over from the Second World War . Constantly on standby and permanently certified “ ready ” for operations , the SNF ( normally six ships from various nations in each group ) provide NATO ’ s immediate maritime response to any emerging crisis , and provide the maritime component of NATO ’ s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force . The SNF also participate in major joint NATO and national military exercises such as the US BALTOPS and the recent Exercise DYNAMIC GUARDIAN . It is in these port visits that the SNF meets and coordinates with NATO ’ s force integration units and with the eFP battlegroups to conduct joint Maritime-Land Integration activities ( MLI ).
The MLI elements involve a number of maritime capabilities provided by these NATO Naval Forces to support the eFP battlegroups and Baltic States Host Nation Defence Forces
( HNDF ). In coordination with HQ MNC-NE , MARCOM is increasing its interactions and exercises with these land elements to further practise and enhance NATO ’ s ability to defend against any potential aggression , promote peace , and assure sovereignty . These significant maritime capabilities span the spectrum : from Special Forces deployed by submarine or aircraft , amphibious assault , Carrier Strike Aircraft conducting air policing or ground attack , ( potentially including the new JF-35 stealth fighters from UK ’ s new Queen Elizabeth carriers and US supercarriers ), strategic precision guided weapons ( Submarine , aircraft and ship-launched Tomahawk , and SCALP missiles with a range of up to 1500km ), Integrated Air and Missile Defence ( IAMD ), NATO warships carrying the MBDA ASTOR 30 or Raytheon AEGIS SM-3 / 6 missiles ( which can engage hostile missile and aircraft targets some 100-200km inland ), Naval Surface Fire Support ( NSFS - previously known as Naval Gunfire Support ), to the more mundane but equally important logistics ( Sea Lines of Control , Maritime Transport and logistics supply , MEDEVAC ). Many of these more dramatic activities are rehearsed in large , joint NATO exercises . In the main , however , ongoing coordination involves increasing familiarity between the SNF and their eFP BG / HNDF counterparts by providing exchange briefings during the port visits and conducting communications exercises to ensure the soldiers will be able to call on these capabilities if needed . Additional activities include training seminars on NSFS and IAMD to train and certify army forward observation officers and ground-based air defence units to call Joint Fires inland from ships off-shore .
In conjunction with MARCOM , HQ MNC-NE have established a new Naval Support Request ( NSR ) process that encourages
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