|
|
||||||||||
| News |
|
Images |
|
Publications |
|
Today |
|
Questions? |
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
|
Memorandum Number: No. 129-MJune 6, 1995 MEMORANDUM FOR CORRESPONDENTSNaval and Air Forces from the United States and 12 nations will rendezvous June 6-17, 1995, for an annual maritime exercise in the Baltic Sea to practice joint military operations. "Baltic Operations," nicknamed BALTOPS, is a U.S. invitational, multinational joint exercise that has been conducted annually for 23 years. BALTOPS 95 demonstrates the United States' continuing interest in the stability of northern Europe and will be conducted in the spirit of NATO's Partnership for Peace. The exercise is designed to support U.S. peacetime engagement operations and military-to-military contacts in the region. BALTOPS will be conducted in two phases. Phase one will emphasize interoperability between NATO and non-NATO members in peacekeeping operations, humanitarian operations and search and rescue. Phase two will exercise interoperability among the NATO navies. BALTOPS 95 objectives are to support coalition building, improve NATO interoperability, improve interoperability between NATO and non-NATO members in the spirit of the Partnership for Peace, promote cooperation and understanding among the nations and navies of northern Europe, and exercise mine warfare assets in a multinational environment. BALTOPS 95 marks several "firsts," including: the first maritime exercise ever to include all Baltic nations, the first BALTOPS in which non-NATO participants will control some of the exercise events, the first BALTOPS to include non-NATO tactical aircraft (Polish MIG-21's) and the first time a former Warsaw Pact submarine will participate (Polish Foxtrot Class). Participants in BALTOPS 95 will include naval forces and observers from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Participating U.S. ships include the guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), the guided missile frigates USS Clark (FFG 11) and USS Taylor (FFG 50), and the coastal patrol ships USS Typhoon (PC 5) and USS Sirocco (PC 6). USS Philippine Sea and USS Taylor are homeported in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and USS Sirocco and USS Typhoon are from Norfolk, Virginia. The five U.S. ships will participate in joint exercises with more than 30 ships from the participating European navies. - MORE - The U.S. ships will visit ports in the Northern Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea during and after the exercise including: Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark; Tallinn, Estonia; Fauma, Finland; Kiel, Rostock and Warnemunde, Germany; Riga, Latvia; Klaipida, Lithuania; Kristiansand and Oslo, Norway; Gdynia, Poland; Baltiysk and St. Petersburg, Russia; and Karlskrona and Stockholm, Sweden. The exercise is sponsored by Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe, Admiral Leighton W. Smith, USN, and will be commanded by Commander, Carrier Group Two, RADM Joseph S. Mobley, USN. RADM Mobley and his staff will be embarked aboard USS Philippine Sea.
|
Printer-friendly Version