KIEL, Germany –
Exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2026 concluded on June 19, 2026, in Kiel, Germany, coinciding with the start of the annual Kiel Navy Week.
The 55th iteration of the exercise was a milestone achievement for the Alliance, marking the first fully integrated joint personnel recovery event between the U.S. and NATO to recover isolated personnel in a live scenario. Additionally, the Allied force conducted expeditionary refueling operations from an austere location in Finland to demonstrate the ability to project forces across large distances without the use of prepared airfields for the first time.
“Through BALTOPS, we are not simply training for a potential crisis, rather we are working to prevent one by showcasing our unified strength and resolve,” said Vice Adm. J.T. Anderson, commander of U.S. 6th Fleet. “The sea lines of communication flowing through the Baltic are vital to global trade and our collective economic prosperity, and these waters connect Riga to the rest of the world and enable our defense forces to maintain a safe and secure region.”
As the regional NATO command responsible for integrating defensive capabilities in the Baltic Sea on behalf of the Alliance, the exercise was commanded and controlled for the first time by Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum, headquartered in the Netherlands, to provide realistic training and scenario development for exercise participants.
“From the perspective of NATO Joint Force Command Brunssum, BALTOPS is far more than a military exercise, it is a practical demonstration of how NATO turns commitment into capability,” said Maj. Gen. Sean Flynn, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, JFC Brunssum. “Readiness is built through repetition, integration and trust, and that readiness is at the core of our ability as an Alliance to deter Russia from any aggression in this region. “
During a distinguished visitor day in Riga, Latvia, senior military leaders from the U.S., Baltic Sea regional Allies, and NATO commands gathered to discuss the evolving security environment in the Baltic Sea region, as well as to observe Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day commemorating the Soviet Union’s occupation of Latvia on June 17, 1940.
“Our armed forces, and particularly our naval forces, participation in BALTOPS is vitally important in terms of interoperability, friendship, and building trust networks in different kinds of warfare areas,” said Rear Adm. Māris Polencs, Chief of the Latvian Naval Forces. “It is a great guarantee for not just maritime security, but also for the security of our countries.”
Since Latvia regained independence, the U.S. and Latvia have worked hard to build our shared transatlantic values through cooperation in security, economic development, education, and an open, inclusive society. Collaboration through exercises like BALTOPS enable NATO Allied like Latvia to take important steps toward generating the strategic readiness for them to lead Europe’s conventional deterrence and defense.
Approximately 6,000 personnel and over 30 ships and aircraft from 15 nations, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as NATO commands Commander, Task Force (CTF) Baltic and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1, participated in BALTOPS 2026.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
JFC Brunssum, based in Brunssum the Netherlands, is one of NATO’s three operational-level headquarters. It plans and conducts multinational military operations, ensuring force readiness and coordination across all domains. JFC Brunssum strengthens NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, protecting the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Allied nations.
For imagery and updates, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/BALTOPS2026 or contact sixthflt-pao@us.navy.mil.