US deploys about 50 Marines to Baltic Sea for NATO mission — ERR News

The United States is deploying about 50 Marines to the Baltic Sea region to take part in NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission to support and protect critical underwater infrastructure. The military personnel will work alongside Finland’s Coastal Brigade, providing expeditionary surveillance and tactical reconnaissance. ERR News reports, citing the Pentagon.

Reconnaissance and surveillance

Personnel from the 2nd Intelligence Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, and the II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group have been assigned to the rotation. These units are based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The Marines will use small unmanned aerial vehicles and coastal sensors, with the data obtained fed into NATO’s common operational picture. Major General Daniel Shipley, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, said the participation of U.S. military personnel is intended to strengthen allies’ readiness to counter hybrid threats in the Baltic region.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Protection of underwater infrastructure

The deployment comes amid a series of incidents involving damaged cables in the Baltic Sea. In December 2024, the EstLink 2 power cable between Estonia and Finland, as well as several communications cables, was severed. Authorities suspected that this could have been deliberate sabotage.

NATO launched Baltic Sentry in January 2025 to protect critical underwater infrastructure, including energy and communications cables. The mission uses frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, maritime drones, and new sensor technologies. Allies are integrating national surveillance assets to improve threat detection and response. The mission is led by European allies under the command of NATO’s Joint Force Command Brunssum, while NATO Maritime Command plays a key role in maritime operations.