NATO has decided to commence a new mission to protect underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, as announced by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The name of the new mission will be “Baltic Sentry”.
“It will involve various means, including frigates and sea patrol aircraft, among others, and will reinforce our vigilance in the Baltic Sea,” Rutte said, adding that a small fleet of sea drones will also be deployed to “provide enhanced surveillance and deterrence.”
When announcing the new NATO mission, Rutte said that more than 95% of internet data flow is supplied using underwater cables, and 1.3 million km of cables ensure the flow of data concerning transactions worth approximately USD 10 trillion.
“Throughout the alliance, we have observed elements of a campaign aimed at destabilising our society through cyber attacks, assassination attempts and sabotage, including the possible sabotage of underwater cables in the Baltic Sea,” said the NATO Secretary General.
Rutte said NATO adversaries need to know that the alliance will not accept attacks on its critical infrastructure, stressing that “we will do everything in our power to ensure that we respond with counter-force, that we are able to see what is happening and then take further steps to ensure that this does not happen again”.
He declined to name the exact number of ships that could take part in the new mission, saying that the number could change from week to week and that “we don’t want to make the enemy smarter than he already is.”
“We will make the most of what we have as an alliance,” he stressed, adding that “remotely piloted vehicles” and drones will also be used.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, attending the meeting, told journalists that Lithuania would send ships and helicopters to the mission, but did not mention their number.
The announcement from NATO does not specify how long this mission would last.
The meeting in Helsinki came after several incidents in the Baltic Sea, when critical underwater infrastructure was damaged due to alleged Russian sabotage.