Germany Inaugurates New Military Headquarters to Strengthen NATO Defence in the Baltic Sea

The headquarters in Rostock, inaugurated by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, is designed to strengthen NATO's defences in the Baltic in the face of Russian aggression.

This new Multinational Maritime Tactical Headquarters for the Baltic Sea in the northern coastal city of Rostock will serve as the base for the Command and Control Task Force (CTF) Baltic and will coordinate the naval activities of all NATO Allies in the Baltic Sea.

‘Our message to our partners and to those who threaten our peace is simple: Germany stands firm in its commitments,’ Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in a speech in Rostock.

‘We are committed to ensuring the security of the Baltic region, the strength of NATO and the defence of our common values,’ Pistorius added.

The Rostock Naval Command has a command staff that already works together with various nations, but will perform additional tasks for NATO in the future, according to the German Ministry of Defence. The centre will be led by a German admiral and staffed by personnel from 11 other NATO countries.

The strategic importance of the Baltic Sea became apparent after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as well as the Kremlin's repeated threats to Kyiv's Western allies. It is a key supply route for NATO forces, which NATO claims is being used by the Russian navy for espionage. Russia's naval presence in the Baltic is based in the Kaliningrad exclave, as well as in the port of St. Petersburg.