The Finnish Navy and allies increase presence and surveillance in the Baltic Sea

NATO’s enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA) in the Baltic Sea is an integral part of the alliance’s collective defence. For the Finnish Navy, the enhanced NATO activity means increased presence at sea, heightened surveillance and exchange of information as well as increasing amount of exercising with the allies.

The Finnish Navy participates in the Baltic Sentry mission with both nationally led and NATO-led vessels.

Increased surveillance and exercise activities form a continuum with NATO’s peacetime operations, seeking to strengthen NATO’s deterrence, to enhance surveillance and to safeguard regional security in the Baltic Sea.

During the next weeks and months, several Navy vessels and units will participate in the cooperation, depending on the situation and requirements of the mission. In addition to nationally led vessels, the Finnish Navy will deploy one Hamina class missile boat to the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) during January and February, starting on near days. The vessel will operate in the Baltic Sea region.

- NATO’s contribution to surveillance in the Baltic Sea is indicative of the alliance’s ability to respond to any situation. - Enhanced presence in cooperation with other authorities safeguards sea connections and infrastructure that are vital for all of us, and we are closely involved in this cooperation, Deputy Chief of Staff Navy Operations, Captain (N) Marko Laaksonen says.

Surveillance and safeguarding of Finland's territorial integrity, executed by the Defence Forces, is still carried out from the national starting points.