Finnish-Estonian drill Baltic Shield underway off Finland

Mine countermeasure ships from the navies of Finland and Estonia met up on October 2 for four days of bilateral drills as part of exercise Baltic Shield 2017.

The exercise is hosted by the 4th Mine Counter-Measures Squadron of the Coastal Fleet and is taking place in Finland, in the Archipelago Sea.

The annual exercise is attended by Finnish minehunters MHC Katanpää and MHC Vahterpää – the Finnish Navy’s newest and final minehunter in the class – and the command boat Syöksy. The Estonian navy has sent ENS Wambola, ENS Ugandi and ENS Admiral Cowan.

Commander Mika Raunu, Commander of the 4th Mine Counter-Measures Squadron is the exercise’s commander.

This year’s edition of the exercise is broader in scope compared to previous editions, according to the exercise commander. In addition to artillery firing, mine counter-measures drills and seamanship and navigation exercises, unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely operated mine countermeasures systems are incorporated into the evolutions.