Berlin proposes NATO formalize Baltic naval cooperation with dedicated headquarters in Germany

German Navy Chief Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack said that a headquarters designated for this purpose was already managing the NATO Northern Coasts naval exercise, which began on Sept. 9 in the Baltic Sea.

"There is now a letter from the inspector general to the NATO deputy supreme allied commander Europe, in which we clearly state that we can offer the possibility of establishing a regional headquarters for the Baltic Sea," Kaack said.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the NATO has strengthened its forces on its eastern flank. The Baltic Sea is the main delivery channel for goods, energy, and telecommunications for several NATO members.

German navy chief argues it is now necessary to move from peacetime conditions to the management of larger naval formations in the Baltic Sea. German naval specialists stationed in the German port city of Rostock in the western Baltic Sea region are able to handle this task, Kaack said.