A few days ago NATO announced the launch of a new sea mission. Under the name “Baltic Sentry”, the aim is to protect critical infrastructure such as energy and data cables. The Netherlands will also take part in the mission, providing a number of ships for this purpose.
The Dutch armed forces have been deployed with ground troops on the eastern flank of the NATO-area since 2017. F-35 fighter jets from the Dutch Air Force are also deployed there. With the launch of “Baltic Sentry”, the country is now also taking part in an official NATO deployment at sea. The reason for the deployment is possible acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia. A number of cables have been damaged there in recent weeks. Both countries are currently leading the investigation. https://militaeraktuell.at/panzerschuppen-und-sturmtaxis-im-ukraine-krieg/
“Luymes” and “Tromp”
The Dutch Royal Navy is providing three ships for the sea mission. The two ships “Zr.Ms. Luymes” and “Zr.Ms. Tromp” are to contribute to “Baltic Sentry” from their current missions to NATO fleet operations. The hydrographic survey ship “Luymes” is currently the flagship of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1, while the “Tromp” is taking on this task for the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1. The “Schiedam” will also join them in the last week of January. According to the Ministry of Defense, it is currently planned that the ships will take on a role in “Baltic Sentry” at least until the end of February. Vice Admiral René Tas, Commander of the Navy, emphasized: “With this contribution, we are showing our determination to step up our efforts. We are making our presence and vigilance clear and thus securing our submarine infrastructure. It is crucial for the Alliance to prevent destabilizing activities through deterrence on the one hand and action on the other if deterrence proves ineffective.”
Largest deployment in decades
With the deployment of the navy, the Dutch deployment on the eastern flank is larger than it has been for decades. Four F-35s of the Dutch Royal Air Force have been operating from Estonia for some time now. They prevent Russian aircraft from entering NATO territory. The army soldiers are part of the increased forward presence in Lithuania. The Netherlands provides around 270 military personnel for this battlegroup.
