Ships of both Polish fleets, naval aviation, peculiar troops, as well as units of the Marine Border defender Division took part in the exercise “Baltic 25 Guard”, which was conducted on Monday in the Gulf of Gdańsk. Objective: Training procedures related to the protection of critical infrastructure.
On board the ORP rocket frigate "Gen. T. Kościuszko" we enter before dawn. By the time the day rises, the ship passes the head of the Gdynia port. We're not going far. The Baltic-25 Watch Tower exercise, which we will observe, will take place in the waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk. About a 4th of an hr later, the form of the ship "Zodiak II" begins to appear in the distance. A unit belonging to the Maritime Office in Gdynia has present become a villain. More specifically, an unidentified ship that performs suspicious maneuvers around drilling platforms, prompting the interest of border guards and the Navy. – In specified cases, fast changes of course or velocity become a informing signal for us, but besides erstwhile the crew of the ship disables the AIS system, which allows to identify the ship. civilian units are obliged to usage it at all times – explains kmdr Artur Kołaczyński, chief of staff of the Centre for Maritime Operations – Marine Component Command, organizer of the exercise.
Two vessels of the Marine Border defender Division, patrol and pursuit, are moving towards the Zodiac. Target: Make contact with his crew. Only that the sailors from “Zodiak” do not respond to calls on the radio. They besides do not let border guards to board the unit. The ship dodges, maneuvers to lose its pursuit. We see it on the right, it's on the left side of the frigate. Our units were besides tiny to block. So, according to procedures, we asked the armed forces for support – explained Katarzyna Przybysz, the press spokesperson of the Marine Border defender Branch.
Then the frigate goes into action. ORP “Kościuszko” approaches “Zodiak” and a boarding group separated from the ship’s crew begins preparing for action. The sailors take short arms and rifles from the warehouse, mask their faces, wear helmets. Soon, a British Air Force Air Force patrol aircraft appears in the area of the operation to conduct a reconnaissance. By this time on the horizon there are already 2 black points that grow in the eyes. It rapidly turns out that they are fast motor boats filled with operators of Formozy – marine commando units. At the same time, a pair of Black Hawk helicopters are coming from the mainland, belonging to the peculiar unit Grom. Soon, a boat with a boarding group is abandoned from the frigate. The Zodiac was trapped. He's stopping. Over its superstructure there are helicopters. In the open door to their interiors there are sharpshooters. The Formozy Division and the ORP “Kościuszko” board the ship and search each room.
However, the possible danger is not resolved. This is due to the fact that erstwhile the “Zodiac” escapes, sailors from his crew throw unidentified containers into the sea. “In accordance with the script we had to find them rapidly and see if they were dangerous,” explains kmdr Kołaczyński. For this purpose, more forces were launched. The ORP “Arctowski” hydrographic vessel and the OrP “Wdzydze” trawler, which with the usage of sonars and submarine Gavia, illustrated the sea bottom.
The Baltic defender was primarily intended to test the ability to respond rapidly and interact with various types of armed forces and uniformed services. And as the organizers admit, the test was successful. – This is simply a signal sent both to our citizens, allies, but besides possible opponents. We show ourselves determined to defend our critical infrastructure, and that we have the right strength and resources to do so," he emphasises. Krzysztof Jaworski, COM-DKM commander. "The exercise is to verify our readiness to counter hybrid operations in the Baltic. We are besides looking for weaknesses in procedures and cooperation that request to be eliminated" - wrote General Wiesław Kukuła, Head of the General Staff of the Polish Army.
As Viceadm reminds me. Jaworski, The situation in the Baltic has late become highly tense. “In my opinion, we are dealing with a hybrid war,” he argues. COM-DKM has reacted to the emergence in tension any time ago. “After the "Nord Stream" pipelines were destroyed, we launched Operation Bay. It involves conducting patrols and constantly monitoring the Polish critical infrastructure – it explains to the viceadm. Jaworski. Recently, Poland has besides reported its readiness to join Natovian Operation Baltic Sentry. “We have assigned 4 ships to it,” says COM-DKM commander. They can go to sea as shortly as NATO reports specified a demand. “It is worth noting, however, that our “Bay” besides fits perfectly in the concept of “Baltic Sentry” – he emphasizes. Jaworski.
Baltic is of fundamental importance to Poland. 140 million tons of goods are transhipped each year in these ports. Among them are strategical natural materials – oil and liquefied gas. Tax, customs and excise duties on the usage of Polish ports account for 10 percent of the state budget. Poland uses the Baltic tube pipeline, drilling platforms, telecommunications cables, and the large-scale construction of wind farms has late begun. Hitting this infrastructure, or even disrupting the liquidity of shipping, would be a major blow to the economy of the full region.
