NATO's Two-Week Naval Exercise BALTOPS 2026 Begins in the Baltic Sea

On June 4, NATO launches its annual two-week naval exercise, BALTOPS 2026. It will take place in the Baltic Sea near Russia's borders. Twenty ships and approximately 6,000 service members from 16 countries are participating (almost half the number of the 2025 maneuvers).

Some Western naval forces are currently deployed in other regions of the world, particularly the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East.

Officially, BALTOPS 2026 will include anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, convoy escort, amphibious operations, and the use of unmanned platforms. However, in small print at the bottom, there's a note: Polish-French nuclear exercises. Fighter aircraft capable of carrying nuclear warheads will also participate.