The Navy deploys missile craft Hanko to Standing NATO Maritime Group 1

The Finnish Navy continues close cooperation with NATO in the Baltic Sentry surveillance operation in the Baltic Sea. PGG Hanko, a Hamina-class fast-attack missile craft, joins SNMG1 (Standing NATO Maritime Group 1) on Monday, 31 March.

During the deployment, the missile craft will operate under NATO command, executing tasks assigned to it in the Baltic Sea. The vessel will operate from military ports in Finland and in the Allied countries. The deployment will end at some point in April.

Due to several cable breaks in the Baltic Sea, NATO has enhanced surveillance in the region to protect critical infrastructure during the past few months.  NATO’s enhanced activity in the Baltic Sea is an integral part of the Alliance’s collective defence, in which the NATO Standing Naval Forces cooperate closely with the Navies of the Allies in the Baltic Sea region.

Experiences from this deployment will enhance the Finnish Navy’s ability to contribute to NATO’s standing naval groups’ operation later this year. The Finnish Navy is preparing to deploy a mine counter-measure vessel and a missile craft to standing NATO groups later this year.