New Command to Lead NATO's Naval Forces in the Baltic Sea

Headquarter – 7 October 2024 kl: 12.38

On October 1st, CTF Baltic was established, a command staff with the purpose of leading NATO’s naval units operating in the Baltic Sea region, from the North Sea into the Baltic Sea and up to the Gulf of Bothnia. The staff headquarters is set up in the German port city of Rostock and is manned by personnel from NATO allies. Sweden is contributing nine officers.

Officers on a row
Officers on a row
From left: Deputy Chief of the Navy Patrik Gardesten, Warrant Officer Simon Abrahamsson, Chief of defence Michael Claesson, and Defense Attaché Markus Brüggemeier. Simon Abrahamsson is part of the first group of Swedes staffing the headquarters in Rostock. Photo: German embassy in Stockholm

NATO's maritime operations are led from the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) headquarters in the United Kingdom. Due to an increasingly deteriorating security situation and Sweden's and Finland's accession to NATO, a need has arisen for clearer coordination of naval forces in the Baltic Sea and surrounding waters. The new command staff is called CTF Baltic and will be established in Rostock, Germany.

– This is clear evidence that Sweden and Finland are strengthening NATO and the alliance's collective deterrence in our region. With CTF Baltic, we will be better coordinated and aligned when we operate jointly in the Baltic Sea," says Patrik Gardesten, Deputy Chief of the Swedish Navy.

The staff in Rostock consists of personnel from allied nations around the Baltic Sea, and nine Swedish officers are present as of early October. The Swedish personnel will serve as NATO officers and operate through MARCOM. The Swedish officers will be in place for two years before rotating with new personnel. Over time, the Swedish contribution is expected to grow to about twenty people.

– The Swedish Navy is already so well-trained and integrated into NATO that we can immediately contribute with qualified expertise. We know this area and understand how to best operate here, so it is natural that we are sending personnel to leading positions within NATO’s maritime staff, says Gardesten.

CTF Baltic will lead NATO's activities in the area, while Swedish ships operating within a national context will continue to be led by the Swedish Armed Forces through the Naval Staff at Muskö. NATO has two standing maritime forces operating in our region: SNMG1, consisting of surface combat ships, and SNMCMG1, primarily focused on mine clearance.