Fregata, corvette, mine ships. A full of respective different types of units participate in the “Fearless Shark 25” maneuvers launched today. It's a sea-based edition of the ‘Iron Defender 25’ exercise. Objective: to test readiness for defence operations in the Baltic.
Ships have already left war ports in Gdynia and Świnoujście. However, their crews do not know the detailed script of the exercise. Orders will flow to them on an ongoing basis from the Centre for Marine Operations – Marine Component Command. For now, it is only known that seafarers will focus on the protection of designated shipping routes, so as to guarantee the free movement of supplies to both Poland and Poland. Allied countries located on the Baltic. It will besides be crucial to block the opponent from carrying out a sea landing. Crews will practice artillery and torpedo shooting, search for mines and cover transport units, fight diversion and asymmetric threats. The script besides featured a simulated fight against submarines, as well as countering air strikes. The sailors will focus not only on combating conventional aviation, but besides on unmanned aircraft. “When designing scenarios, we always analyse current events and effort to respond to them in an appropriate way,” said kmdr Leszek Grandpa from COM–DKM.
Meanwhile, the Fearless Shark will not only take place at sea. Ship crews are to work closely with maritime aviation. The individual episodes will include helicopters – rescuers W-3WARM, as well as AW101 designed to search for submarines. Among another things, Bryza's patrol aircraft will be liable for the reconnaissance. Many assignments will be given to naval units that operate on land all day. This is primarily about Marine Rocket Unit equipped with NSM rockets. Mobile launchers will leave the base in Siemirovice capable of damaging enemy ships at a distance of 200 km. Their casts will interact with the crews of the ships. Finally, logistics sub-units will be active in the exercise, which are responsible, inter alia, for supplying ammunition on board.
– Our goal is to check the readiness of the Navy to carry out a defence operation in the Baltic and more broadly to participate in a multi-domain operation. During the war, different types of armed forces never work in isolation. And that is why the Fearless Shark is just 1 of the elements that fit into the full Federation of exercises under the name ‘Iron Defender ‘25’ – explains kmdr Grandpa. This task consists of about 30 different exercises taking place on land, sea, air and cyberspace. 30 1000 soldiers from Poland and allied countries participate. Individual features of maneuvers have been taking place since early September. So far, for example, soldiers of the ground troops have been forging Narew and Bug. Soon, artillery and rocket firing will be carried out in Ustka. “We will devote quite a few attention to tactical integration with the National Fear and defence Programme “Tarcza East” – said General Wiesław Kukuła, Head of the General Staff in an interview with the Polish-Army portal. In the Fearless Shark, allied ships will not be straight involved. “However, all actions are coordinated with the NATO CTF-Baltic command and the Alliance’s operation “Baltic Sentry”, says kmdr Grandpa.
The "Fearless Shark" will last until September 26. Exercises are conducted at an exceptional time. In fresh months, there have been respective mysterious incidents in the Baltic, resulting in harm to submarine cables and pipelines belonging to the Alliance states. The Russians regularly interfere with the GPS signal, and ships carrying the embargo-covered Russian oil appear on shipping routes. In a time of specified threats, the function of the Navy is crucial. In particular, it is by sea that most strategical natural materials go to Poland, and the gross from taxes, duties and excise duties related to transhipment in Polish ports represent up to 10% of the state budget.
