NATO's Standing Maritime Group will depart tomorrow from its base in the German port of Kiel for the Baltic states, DPA reported, BTA reports.
The group was focused on the North Sea, but recent tensions in the Baltic Sea have led to a change in priorities. “We are needed elsewhere,” said new commander Eric Cox at the Kiel naval base.
Cox, who is from Belgium, said the Baltic Sea's sea lanes and underwater infrastructure are of strategic importance to NATO and vital to the economy and security of its members.
NATO is increasing its presence in the Baltic Sea region to monitor shipping and protect communication cables. There have been several suspected sabotage attacks in the region in recent months.
The Dutch ship "Lumes" and the German minesweeper "Dateln" are part of the group, with more ships expected to join later.
Belgium has taken command of NATO's Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1), replacing Germany, which led the unit for the past year.
The unit has reportedly discovered 53 old mines in the past few months and detonated 38 of them. The rest have been destroyed by other means.