WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI) -- Ships from 11 nations including the United States and Russia are conducting an annual maritime exercise in the Baltic Sea, according to U.S, European Command.
More than 4,100 military personnel, 40 ships, 28 aircraft and two submarines are participating in BALTOPS, the 33rd annual two-week maritime exercise.
Their first mission: competing against each other in tug-of-war, soccer, basketball and track races -- an effort to develop and nurture camaraderie among the participants.
The second phase will test naval skills like gunnery, replenishment-at-sea, radar tracking, and amphibious landings and seamanship. The third phase will exercise the participating navies in a fictitious scenario to test coordination and promote cooperation.
Denmark, Finland, Germany, Russia, Poland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, the United Kingdom and the United States are participating. The exercise will be held in the Baltic Sea, in Bornholm, Denmark and in Ustka, Poland.
