WARSAW (Sputnik) — BALTOPS has been conducted annually since 1971 and focuses on naval and amphibious training in the Baltic Sea Region.
"Over 40 warships from 14 countries will arrive on June 1-2 to Szczecin. After that a few days the ships will take part in the naval drills within the BALTOPS, the largest international exercises in the Baltic," Kwiatkowski said, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency.
The warships from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, Sweden and the United States are expected to take part in the drills.
The drills will be aimed at practicing the search and destroy enemy submarines, mine warfare, air defense, repelling attacks of surface ships. They are expected to last until June 18 and ended in the German city of Kiel.