Military vessel presence increases in the Baltic
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By Kari Huhta
The importance of a common sea arose during the summer before the natural gas pipeline project. During the summer, Finnish boaters said that they had seen Russian submarines in international waters. more observations can be expected next summer.
The navies of both Russia and the Western military alliance NATO are more busy in the Baltic Sea than they were before. The increased activity is not the result fo the planned gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, although the pipeline project will reinforce the already considerable interest, especially that of Russia, toward the sea area.
Viewed from Russia, the Baltic Sea is a long and narrow stretch of brackish water, which is a crucially important route for energy transport and other foreign trade.
According to the Russian maritime doctrine, the Baltic Sea is a “commercial traffic route” for Russia, but it is also more than that.
“St. Petersburg is an important research, repair, and education centre”, says Docent Alpo Juntunen of the Finnish National Defence University.
One of the bases of the Baltic Fleet is in Kronstadt, off St. Petersburg. In addition the Admiralty of the Russian Navy is moving from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Another base is in Kaliningrad. It is significant for Russia not only because it is located on the Baltic Sea, but also as part of the broader power game that it has with NATO.
More precise information is available on the commercial shipping in the Baltic sea than on Russian military forces in the Baltic. What is known, however, is that the navies have not grown nearly as much as the volume of traffic.
Finnish boaters should be considerably more concerned about large oil transport vessels than submarines, both from the point of view of the environment, as well as security.
According to Russia’s plans, up to a third of its annual oil production of 490 million tonnes is delivered to the world market through the Baltic Sea. This would mean several large tanker vessels every day.
The risks of surface-running vessels for the safety of the Baltic Sea became apparent in connection with the recent mysterious hijacking of the Arctic Sea.
In spite of everything, the Russian Fleet in the Baltic Sea still only has three submarines, two of which are in use.
New submarines, the Lada models, are only in experimental use. Schedules for acquisitions and reforms in the Russian armed forces do not keep well, and construction of the naval forces is slow in other respects as well.
The Baltic Fleet has little heavy equipment compared with other fleets that Russia has in the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Black Sea. According to Finnish naval officers, the Baltic Fleet nevertheless has enough goods to secure Russia’s current interests, including a possible gas pipeline.
The Baltic Fleet conducted sea bottom studies for the pipeline, and protecting the pipeline has been set as one of its main tasks.
“Talk that the fleet is rusting away should be stopped”, says Commodore Kimmo Kotilainen.
Ships were on the move in military exercises in the Baltic Sea area in the late summer. The Ladoga exercise, conducted east of Finland, and the Zapad exercise in Russia and Belarus also included vessels of Russia’s northern, and Black Sea Fleets.
Russia puts out contradictory information about its armed forces in the area, and this was noticed during the military exercises.
Russia told other member states of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe that 7,500 soldiers were taking part in Ladoga, and 12,500 took part in Zapad.
The first figure falls below the minimum agreed in the OSCE, at which advance notice on a military exercises must be given to other countries. The second one comes very close to the level at which foreign observers must be invited.
Western armed forces also do not give out very precise information about their activities in the Baltic Sea. It is known in Finland that the Polish Navy has special responsibility for monitoring the Baltic Sea, but that more minute details of NATO’s military planning are secret.
Larger numbers of Western ships have also been seen in the Baltic Sea during the summer.
The British aircraft carrier Illustrious took part in a crisis management exercise in which Finland also was involved.
NATO’s increased activities in the Baltic are the result of last year’s war between Georgia and Russia.
Since then, the NATO countries on the Baltic coast hope that the defence alliance will put on a more active display of a common defence.
The impact of the gas pipeline on the activities of the navies is conflicting. It increases the importance of the stability of the Baltic Sea - especially this cycle of naval activity.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 5.9..2009
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 8.9.2009 - THIS WEEK |
 Military vessel presence increases in the Baltic |
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