The US will deploy about 40 Marine Corps personnel to the Baltic region to support NATO's Baltic Sentry Mission. They will work with the Finnish Marine Corps on maritime surveillance and tactical reconnaissance missions.
The personnel are from the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The unit will use small unmanned aerial vehicles and shore-based sensors, and the collected data will be fed into a common NATO operational system.
Focus on underwater infrastructure
The aim is to improve surveillance in the Baltic Sea, protect critical underwater communications and energy facilities, and speed up the exchange of information about potential threats. NATO launched Baltic Sentry in January 2025 as an enhanced surveillance activity in the region following incidents affecting critical underwater infrastructure.
Major General Daniel Shipley, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps in Europe and Africa, said that participation in Baltic Sentry demonstrates the U.S. ability to “rapidly move specialized forces to where they are needed most.”
According to the Pentagon, European NATO countries will coordinate their actions through the NATO Joint Force Command in Brunssum and the Alliance’s Maritime Command. The U.S. Corps will provide additional support and specialized capabilities.
New surveillance technologies
The use of unmanned systems and sensors is part of a broader NATO effort to enhance maritime situational awareness in the Baltic Sea. In 2025, the Alliance tested dozens of air and sea drones in support of Baltic Sentry, and in 2026, the allies agreed to accelerate the deployment of technologies to detect threats to underwater infrastructure.
The new American unit will complement the already active multinational presence in the region. A specific deadline for the completion of its participation has not been specified.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda