BALTOPS 2010, combining armed forces from nations in the NATO Partnership for Peace programme begin today. 

Fourteen countries, including the U.S., Great Britain, Russia, Germany, France, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, will be involved in the NATO exercise, which aims to enhance maritime safety and security in the Baltic Sea through increased interoperability and cooperation among regional allies.  

The sea maneuvers will deploy 1,600 military personnel, which will learn how to react in critical situations and how to conduct peacekeeping operations, such as embargo, sea blockades, peace enforcement, anti-contraband and anti-terrorism at the sea.  

The Polish Navy will host the first stage of BALTOPS 2010 . On Friday, several dozen international warships will enter the military port of Gdynia to team up for the exercise which is to begin on 7 June and end on 18 June.  

The navy will deploy an anti-submarine corvette ORP Kaszub, a submarine ORP Kondor, three minesweepers ORP Resko and ORP Wicko and ORP Nesko, two anti-submarine helicopters Mi-14PL and two patrol and reconnaissance aircrafts An-28 B1R.  

The BALTOPS exercise has been held annually since 1994 within the framework of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. (mg) 

Source: IAR, Ria Novosti