A French Navy Atlantique 2 aircraft carries out a patrol mission over the Baltic Sea to monitor Russian naval activity and to observe and be observed. The aircraft is equipped with surveillance instruments and a camera but no torpedoes, as its empty torpedo bay suggests a different mission.

The primary mission of the French naval aircraft is to monitor the underwater activities of the Baltic Sea, where there have been three incidents over the past year and half in which commercial ships have been suspected of damaging critical undersea communications cables and a gas pipeline. These incidents have raised concerns of sabotage, with the Kremlin being viewed as a primary suspect.

In 2023, NATO launched a new program called Baltic Sentry to enhance sea and air patrols of the Baltic Sea. The program aims to monitor and respond to destabilizing activities in the region, with the goal of strengthening the unity of NATO in the face of any challenge. The program initially encountered resistance due to concerns regarding unprovoked attacks on NATO members by Russia, but it has continued uninterrupted since its inception and without further cases of suspected sabotage.

Although Baltic Sentry is not officially directed against a particular country, Russia is its primary concern. During the patrol mission of the Atlantique 2, the crew closely monitors and observes the movements of Russian warships and submarines that are visible in the sea below.

During the 14-hour mission, crew members use onboard instruments to detect GPS jamming possibly caused by Russia, and document the vessels and crafts observed. While there is concern about Russia’s aggressive actions, there is also concern regarding the need to maintain a sense of normalcy as Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland and Sweden are allied nations.

The Kremlin dismissed accusations of sabotage operations in the Baltic Sea, but intelligence officials indicate that fires at two DHL shipping hubs in Britain and Germany were intentionally set by the Russians to target cargo planes. Chinese-flagged vessel, Yi Peng 3, and a Hong Kong-flagged vessel, were suspected of damaging undersea fiber optic cables but no hard evidence was found. Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether Baltic Sentry will interfere or address Russia’s shadow fleet, which Moscow uses to finance its war in Ukraine.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/world/europe/nato-baltic-sentry-russia.html