Exercise ‘Freezing Winds 2024’, Finland’s largest naval exercise, is taking place from 20-29 November. Around 30 naval vessels, several maritime patrol aircraft, and almost 4000 personnel are involved.
For the second consecutive year, NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) is participating, with the presence of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) and Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) – the first time that both of NATO’s North Atlantic-focused standing naval forces have taken part.
“‘Freezing Winds’ provides combined training that enhances our interoperability in a region of strategic importance to the alliance,” Commodore Thomas Stig Rasmussen, a Royal Danish Navy (RDN) officer and Commander (COM) SNMG1, said in a pre-exercise MARCOM press statement.
At a media briefing held onboard the Royal Norwegian Navy auxiliary vessel HNoMS Maud in Turku, western Finland as ‘Freezing Winds’ got underway, Finnish Navy Chief of Staff Commodore Janne Huusko said “The objective of the exercise is to train for the execution of international naval operations in the circumstances of the Finnish coast and the Baltic Sea.”
“We must train hard in a challenging and realistic environment to be able to defend our borders, our countries, and deter aggression if and when needed,” Cdre Rasmussen told the briefing.
“To this end, control of the sea is very important for NATO in peace as well as in wartime. We need to protect the SLOCs [sea lines of communication].”
Commodore Thomas Stig Rasmussen, a Royal Danish Navy (RDN) officer and Commander (COM) SNMG1
In peacetime, Finland (for example) relies on Baltic SLOCs to deliver the 94 percent of its trade that flows by sea. In times of crisis or conflict, Baltic SLOCs could be crucial in alliance efforts to reinforce units operating ashore in the region. In both peacetime and wartime, alliance member states rely upon the CUI – oil and gas pipelines, and data and power cables – that dissects the Baltic seabed.
With Finland and Sweden now NATO navies, the Baltic Sea has become a more important strategic area for the alliance, with naval operations and presence there part of a significant allied commitment. ‘Freezing Winds’ is designed to train a range of naval operations, including amphibious warfare, maritime security, and SLOC protection. The importance of Baltic Sea CUI, and the emerging – now enduring – threat to it, means such CUI has become a strategic SLOC.
SNMCMG1, for example, makes a key contribution to securing SLOCs and CUI, Commander Beata Król – a German Navy officer and COM SNMCMG1 – told the briefing.
“SNMCMG1 is a vital component of NATO maritime defence, ensuring the safety and security of SLOCs in the North Atlantic and Baltic region …. It can play a crucial role in protecting CUI in [these waters],” said Cdr Król.
To counter the increasing CUI threat, a task group like SNMCMG1 contributes deterrence, surveillance and monitoring, rapid response, co-operation, information sharing, expertise, and training, Cdr Król explained.
“We conduct routine patrols and exercise in areas with CUI,” Cdr Król continued. “The visible presence of SNMCMG1 units acts as a deterrent of the potential adversary: knowing that NATO forces are actively patrolling and monitoring these areas discourages attempts to tamper with or damage vital infrastructure.”
The advanced sonar and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) used in MCM operations can detect and identify unusual objects and activities near CUI, providing early warning against potential threats. The deterrent capacity also includes rapid response, with SNMCMG1 units able to deploy quickly to an incident area and use their capabilities to assess the situation and investigate the incident, said Cdr Król.
The specialist expertise and knowledge SNMCMG1 possesses in MCM and wider underwater operations is shared with partner countries through training and exercises; this improves partners’ ability to protect their own CUI, said Cdr Król.
“By combining all this capability, my task group has the capabilities to contribute to the safety of underwater pipelines, cables, and other vital assets that are essential for communication, energy transport, and economic stability,” Cdr Król added.
Several CUI incidents have occurred in the Baltic recently. In September 2022, two Nord Stream gas pipelines suffered ruptures, at a location just off Denmark’s Bornholm Island. In October 2023, the BalticConnector gas pipeline running between Estonia and Finland and a nearby internet cable were damaged, reportedly by a commercial ship dragging its anchor across the seabed. In November 2024, two internet cables (one between Finland and Germany, the other between Sweden and Lithuania) were damaged: while no cause has yet been determined, one possibility noted has been damage due to a ship anchor being dragged.
