Baltic Shield 2020 will be conducted in conjunction with a Coastal Fleet live-fire exercise

This year, the Baltic Shield exercise between the Finnish Navy and the Estonian Navy will be executed in conjunction with the live-fire exercise of the Coastal Fleet from 5 to 7 October in the Archipelago Sea.

Baltic Shield is an annual exercise of the Finnish and Estonian Navies aimed at developing the cooperation between the two countries in mine countermeasures and naval artillery fire. 

This year, the exercise will focus on naval artillery fire, and it will be executed as a part of a larger naval live-fire exercise of the Coastal Fleet, which will be executed from 6 to 8 October. Nine Finnish vessels will participate in the exercise from all the squadrons of the Coastal Fleet.  Estonia will participate in the exercise with two vessels: ENS Sakala and ENS Ugandi.

The objective of the Coastal Fleet live-fire exercise is to improve anti-aircraft and surface fire planning, commanding and execution skills.  The training programme is versatile. 

- For instance, the intention is to improve the vessels’ capability to counter air threats.  Conscripts, too, will gain valuable experience of anti-aircraft and surface target firing, says the leader of the exercise, Commander Juhani Lehtimäki.

Navy Planex, Air Force Snipe and Army Ranger target drones will be used in an air threat role in the exercise. 

This Coastal Fleet live-fire exercise is a part of the Navy’s regular annual exercise activities.  The Baltic Shield exercise is based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Finnish and Estonian Ministries of Defence in 2003. 

The exercises will be executed respecting the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.