Finland, UK, Estonia train in undersea structure safety

The Finnish Defence Forces on Monday started a two-day training in undersea infrastructure protection together with the Finnish Border Guard, the United Kingdom and Estonia in the Baltic Sea region, said Finnish Defence Forces in a press release.

The aim of the exercise is to develop the capability for the surveillance and protection of undersea infrastructure and to repel undersea military threats.

The exercise is part of the Joint Expeditionary Force Statement on 28 November 2023 to increase JEF presence and surveillance in the Baltic Sea Region.

The exercise includes the Finnish Navy, the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District of the Finnish Border Guard, the Royal Navy and the Estonian Navy.

The Defence Command Assistant Chief of Operations, Commodore Janne Huusko said that the activation of the JEF Response Option and NATO’s increased naval presence is an entity that strengthens the surveillance and protection of undersea infrastructure.

“After the Balticconnector incident, many countries of the Baltic Sea region have increased their cooperation and their own national maritime surveillance operations. This exercise is one message of how we are able to protect and conduct surveillance on critical infrastructure together with our allies and partners,” Huusko added.