Six NATO Vessels Arrive in Estonia for Maritime Exercises

Six ships of the NATO naval group , which includes vessels from the UK , Norway , France , the Netherlands and Belgium , have arrived in the Estonian capital Tallinn , ERR reported .

Six ships of NATO’s first standing naval group arrived in Tallinn for a visit. The first to dock in Tallinn’s Old Port on Friday was the British frigate HMS Iron Duke. The remaining ships arrived on Saturday morning: the group’s flagship, the Norwegian command ship HNoMS Maud, the French frigate FS Auvergne, the Dutch frigate HNLMS Van Amstel, the Belgian frigate BNS Louise-Marie and the patrol ship FS Commandant Blaison,” the broadcaster notes.

According to ERR, “The presence of allies in Estonia and its waters is now more than ever linked to the security situation near and around us, NATO’s regional defense plans, and responses to maritime threats. The Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 is the Alliance’s primary maritime strike force, enabling flexible and rapid deployment as part of NATO’s command structure for deterrence activities and, if necessary, the execution of military plans,” said Commodore Ivo Värk, commander of the Estonian Navy.

It is noted that the patrol ship FS Commandant Blaison will take part in the exercise of the Estonian and allied defence forces called “Lightning” (Pikne), which will begin on December 2. According to ERR, the last time the ships of the first standing NATO naval group were in Estonia was in April 2023, when they conducted joint exercises with the Estonian Navy.