While both countries have been participating in exercises together with the standing groups already before their NATO-memberships – in particular with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasure Group 1, which has a long history of mine disposal work in the Baltic Sea – it is only after becoming full members that they are participating as part of the regular rotations.
For Finland, the first deployment came already this year, when mine countermeasure vessel MHC Vahterpää spent two months operating as part of SNMCMG 1 in April and May. The deployment saw the vessel operating in both the Baltic Sea as well as in the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea, and included disposal of wartime mines as part of exercise Open Spirit 2024. Vahterpää is one of three Finnish coastal minehunters of the Katanpää-class, a significantly upgraded derivative of the Italian Gaeta-class built by Intermarine SpA which entered service between 2012 and 2016. The deployment next year will be very much along the same lines, with one Katanpää-class vessel being deployed for a period of up to three months, with the deployment set to include operations both in the Baltic Sea and in the North Sea and North Atlantic. The purpose is to see the vessel take part in mine countermeasure operations, disposal of wartime sea mines, take part in exercises, develop mine countermeasures tactics and doctrines, and perform maritime surveillance.
Sweden is also looking at taking part in SNMCMG 1 with a single vessel, though their reservation is for a deployment stretching up to half a year. While the vessel has not been named, it seems likely it would be one of the Swedish Navy’s five Koster-class coastal minehunters. The class is made up of the remaining five vessels of the originally seven strong Landsort-class originating in the 80’s which underwent a deep MLU-program in the early 2000’s. As with the Katanpää-class, the Koster-class have been regular participants in exercises together with SNMCMG1 earlier as well.
Finnish Hamina-class FAC for SNMG1
However, while active participation in the mine countermeasure group was expected – as mentioned both countries have been actively cooperating with the unit already earlier, and are operating some of the most modern coastal minehunters available – a rather more unexpected news item was the decision by Finland to deploy a Hamina-class fast attack craft with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 to the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and North Atlantic for up to one month. The SNMG1 (and its southern counterpart SNMG2) are usually made up of frigate-sized vessels, and as such the inclusion of a 50-meter 250-ton fast attack craft with limited endurance is surprising. Considering the limited time-span of the deployment, one possibility is that the deployment will be focused on an individual exercise where the Hamina-class vessel wouldn’t have to face prolonged stays at sea.
All three deployments will also see small numbers of personnel deployed to staff duty in the respective groups.
