Germany plans to inaugurate a new tactical naval headquarters on the Baltic Sea, aimed at boosting NATO’s defensive preparedness in the region, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will formally open the navy’s command center in the German port city of Rostock on the Baltic Sea on Monday, according to the ministry.
Germany has the largest NATO navy in the Baltic Sea and took on a regional leadership role on October 1, according to the ministry.
The new Baltic headquarters of the Commander Task Force (CTF) will coordinate naval activities for all NATO allies in the Baltic Sea and maintain an overall picture of the maritime situation, the ministry said.
The Baltic Sea is an important supply route for NATO and of crucial economic importance for the alliance’s neighbors.
NATO has also warned of systematic spying on infrastructure and other potential threats in the region by Russia, which has Baltic Sea ports in the Kaliningrad exclave and around the city of St. Petersburg.
Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine has increased fears of possible Russian aggression.
In 2017, NATO decided to adjust its command structure and establish a permanent naval headquarters at the highest tactical level. The headquarters plans operations and military exercises and commands naval forces in peacetime, as well as during crises and war.
According to the ministry, the CTF Baltic in Rostock will be led by a German admiral, while the position of deputy commander will initially be filled by a Polish admiral and that of chief of staff by a Swedish staff officer.
