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NATO ships in Port Gdańsk – a demonstration of strength and security in the Baltic
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
11 allied ships docked at Westerplatte Coast. Among them – units of the NATO Permanent Defence Force Team Group 1. The visit is part of the mission to protect critical maritime infrastructure and demonstrate the solidarity of the Alliance in the face of increasing threats.
In the article
Restocking and rest before the next phase of the mission
Since Friday 4 April Port Gdańsk has hosted a team of eleven ships belonging to NATO states. The visit is of a working nature – units replenish supplies, provide rest to crews and prepare for further tasks in the Baltic Sea. As the representatives of the Alliance emphasize, the main purpose of these forces is protection of offshore infrastructure Criticalnecessary for energy security and communication of the region.
The team is headed by a German logistics support ship FGS Mosel (A512) which serves as command unit. It is the largest of all units present in Gdańsk – 100 meters long, dive approx. 4 meters, fuel transport capacity, ammunition and supplies, as well as basic medical support. Other ships represent countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium, and their tasks focus on mine-based activities in the exercise Baltic MCM.
Cryptonym "Baltic Sentry" – NATO secures key life lines of the Baltic
The presence of NATO units in Port Gdańsk is part of a wider strategy under the codename "Baltic Sentry" (Baltic Warta), initiated in early 2025. The operation was announced at the Baltic Sea Summit in Helsinki and responds to the increasing hybrid and sabotage risks facing offshore critical infrastructure – telecommunications cables, pipelines and power platforms.
NATO Command officially reported the deployment of SNMG's Permanent Maritime Group1, SNMCMG1 mine forces, as well as unmanned surveillance systems and patrol aircraft. Their task is to keep track of the chosen Baltic sectorswhich falls within the broader context of increasing the Alliance's resilience to non-kinetic activities. As has been stressed many times, the real threat is the so-called shadow float of the Russian Federation, whose activity increased after the incidents last year on the offshore transmission and energy infrastructure in these waters.
Gdansk – port with increasing importance in safety architecture
The choice of the port of Gdańsk for the site of the stop of NATO ships is not accidental. Geostrategic location, proximity to critical infrastructure and efficient logistics facilities make it an important point on the Alliance's maritime security map. The presence of marine units at the Westerplatte Coast also has a symbolic dimension – this reference to the place that in the history of Poland and Europe became a symbol of resistance to German aggression in 1939.
Polish response – Operation "Bare"
NATO presence in the Baltic complements the ongoing since 2022 Operation Bay, implemented by the Navy of Poland in cooperation with the Naval Aviation Brigade and the Marine Border Guard Branch. As we informed you earlier on our portal, these activities are of a continuous nature and focus on monitoring the maritime territory and the exclusive economic zone, with particular emphasis on critical infrastructure facilities .
The response system is based on multi-level liability structure – from infrastructure operators, through the Border Guard, to the Polish Navy as the last link of military response. This solution allows for effective risk assessment and adequate response – without escalation, but with full combat readiness.
NATO ships in the Baltic Sea – a maritime safety guarantee
Permanent presence of allied ships in the Baltic Sea, such as the Swedish mine destroyer HswMS Ulvön, German FGS Mosel whether Belgian units are a real strengthening of the capacity to deter and secure strategic transport routes. The presence of marinades NATO's war states are also psychological – it is a clear signal to potential aggressors that the Baltic is not outside the Alliance's interest. All ships are scheduled to leave the Port on Monday (7 April).
Source: Port Gdańsk/MD
