BALTOPS 2026 in Gdynia. Less ships, higher rates on the Baltic

NATO ships have been entering Gdynia for several days, which will take part in the BALTOPS 2026 maneuvers. This year's edition is to show how the Alliance wants to maintain freedom of action in the Baltic during increasing tensions and increasing burden on Western Navys.

Gdynia as a starting point on the Baltic

But before the exercise begins and before the ships leave the port, the key element of the port phase is the briefing before going to sea which began on June 1. Pre-Sail Conference – that's what it's called briefing the commanders and crews of ships. It is these days that the details of the exercise are coordinated, the first tactical assumptions discussed and the tasks transferred. It is only after such preparation that ships of different countries may go to the Baltic in one group.

That is why this year's port phase in Gdynia is not just an opportunity to see allies' ships at the shores. This is the final stage of preparation before the right part begins. BALTOPS 2026.

At first glance, you can treat the BALTOPS 2026 port phase as a colourful overview of allied flags. For several days, ships from different fleets have been entering Gdynia: Finnish miners, Lithuanian mine destroyer, German frigates and corvettes, Latvian support ship, Danish frigate and British patrol boats. For observers from the shore, it is a rare opportunity to see in one port so different ships.

BALTOPS 2026 is no longer an exercise from the old days

BALTOPS has a long history, dating back to the Cold War. For years, it has been one of the most important maritime maneuvers in the region for NATO states. After 1993, the exercise also opened to the Peace Partnership countries, including Poland, and for some time also Russia. However, this stage belongs to the past.

Today, BALTOPS is again an Alliance exercise led in the realities of increasing rivalry in the Baltic. However, the current safety environment is more complex than in the Cold War. It is no longer just about the interaction of ships and aviation, but about checking the entire maritime operating system: from command and reconnaissance to maritime security and critical infrastructure.

This is why this year's edition will be interesting. Not only because of the list of ships that entered Gdynia, but mainly because of the question: what does NATO want to practice in the Baltic today?

The answer is becoming clearer. The aim is to maintain freedom of action at sea, to secure passage through key areas, to protect shipping and to be able to spread and supply the Baltic States. In this sense, the Baltic is no longer just a regional reservoir where NATO states conduct cyclical sea exercises. It has become one of the key security areas of the Eastern flank of the Alliance – with access tracks to ports, sub-marine critical infrastructure, shipping routes and areas through which supplies to the Baltic States would have to flow during the crisis.

Smaller scale, bigger context

This year's BALTOPS is expected to be smaller than the previous edition. This is important information, but should not lead to the simple conclusion that the importance of the exercise has fallen. On the contrary — A smaller number of ships show that Western naval forces are under heavy global pressure today.

Some naval forces are bound by tasks outside the Baltic. The Ormuz Strait, the Arctic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indo-Pacific and permanent commitments to NATO cause that not every fleet can simultaneously send a full set of ships to exercise. This is not a problem for one country, but a broader picture of modern naval forces: the need for presence increases faster than the number of ships available.

From this perspective, BALTOPS 2026 is a test not only for combat preparedness but also for power management skills. The Alliance must show that even with a limited number of individuals, it can maintain coherent command, secure maritime routes and operate in several domains simultaneously.

This is where the Baltic comes in. The sea seemingly closed, well recognized and densely observed, but at the same time full of difficult areas, shallow waters, approaches, energy infrastructure, cables, ports and narrow passages. It is an environment in which the number of ships is important, but even more important is the ability to use them wisely.

Poland part of the exercise

The forces of the Polish Navy also participate in the BTOPS 2026. From the 3rd Fleet Ships, the ORP rocket frigate will take part in the maneuvers General T. Kościuszko and the ORP caretaker Cashew. The 8th Coast Defense Fleet has separated the ORP transport-min ship Lublin and ORP trawlers Necko and ORP Injection.

The participation of the command ship with mine defence forces is of separate importance ORP Rear Admiral X. Czernicki. The unit currently serves as the command ship of NATO's Permanent Defence Force Team Group 1. This is not only a Polish accent in allied exercise, but a confirmation that mine defence remains one of the areas where Polish Navy Poland has real experience and a place in NATO structures.

Marine Rocket Unit, Naval Aviation Brigade and Special Forces will also be involved. As a result, the Polish participation will not be limited to the presence of several ships in the group. It will cover activities at sea, in the air and at the interface of reconnaissance, command and target indication.

This is important because modern sea exercises are less and less like the classic image of ships sailing in formation. Today it is important to exchange data, to respond to threats from the air, to mine activities, to combat submarines, to protect infrastructure and to be able to interact with aviation and special forces.

The Mine War and the ZOP return to the spotlight

The composition of ships arriving in Gdynia shows well what issues remain particularly important for NATO in the Baltic. Next to the frigate and the corvette we see min destroyers, trawlers, miners and mine command ships. It's not a coincidence.

The Baltic has been a sea for decades where mine threats are taken very seriously. This is due to both history and geography. The narrow approaches to ports, shallow waters, shipping tracks and the importance of maritime transport make even limited use of mines likely to create serious problems for shipping and military activities.

The second constant theme is Combating submarines (ZOP). In the Baltic, it is not easy. Hydrological conditions, variable salinity, shallow areas and high sea traffic make it difficult to detect underwater targets. Therefore, the exercises of the ZOP are of special importance. It's not just a theory, it's a practical test of whether ships, aviation and command system can work together in a difficult environment.

In this context, participation of the ORP General T. Kościuszko and ORP Cashew has a training dimension, but also symbolic. Poland Polish Navy is in transition: older ships continue to carry out tasks and new capabilities are yet to come with modernisation programmes. BALTOPS therefore shows at the same time the experience of current crews and the scale of the needs that remain before our fleet.

Gotland, maritime routes and logistics

One of the key themes of this year's exercises is to secure maritime communication lines. In practice, this means protecting routes that could be provided to the Baltic States and the allies in a crisis.

The region of Gotland is of particular importance. After Sweden entered NATO, the island gained even greater importance in planning to defend the Baltic. Control of traffic around Gotland, the possibility of conducting a diagnosis and securing a passage through the Central Baltic have a direct impact on the security of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

This is one of the reasons why BALTOPS cannot be treated solely as a marine exercise of narrow importance. It is also a test of logistics, command and resilience of the entire communication system between NATO states on the Baltic. The sea is not background here. It is a path that must be kept open during the crisis.

After Gdynia, the time will come for the sea

The planned exit of ships from Gdynia is June 4. The port phase will then give way to appropriate Baltic activities, and the arrangements with the Pre-Sail Conference will be checked at sea.

The most interesting thing about this year's BALTOPS 2026 is something else. The exercise takes place are at a time when NATO states have to watch several sensitive areas of the world at the same time. The Baltic is not the only sea that needs attention, but for Poland, the Baltic States, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland it remains one of the most important.

Therefore, this year's edition does not need to be the largest in numbers to be of great importance. Its purpose is to show that, also with limited resources, allied states can gather strength, secure key areas and maintain freedom of action at sea.

This is the importance of BALTOPS 2026: not on the number of ships, but on whether the Baltic can be acted quickly, jointly and effectively.