Eight NATO Countries Hold Anti-Submarine Exercise in the Baltic Sea

Eight NATO member countries are holding the Dynamic Merlin anti-submarine exercise in the Baltic Sea from November 9 to 13, 2026. Sweden is hosting, with the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and the Netherlands taking part. Participating forces will practice coordinating the detection and tracking of submarines and responding to drones approaching ships.

A warship taking part in an anti-submarine exercise.（VietVance）

The Swedish Armed Forces said Sweden has deployed five frigates, one submarine, helicopters and the support ship HMS Trossö for the exercise. The Baltic Sea’s shallow waters and varied seabed terrain make submarines difficult to detect and track. This is the third time Sweden has hosted Dynamic Merlin.

Rear Admiral Nicolas Molitor of the French Navy, commander of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1, said ship crews will respond to drones approaching at times they have not been told in advance. This part of the exercise is intended to test the crews’ response capabilities and the effectiveness of counter-drone systems installed on some ships. Starting this year, the exercise has been included in NATO’s regular naval exercise program.

NATO is also increasing its monitoring of undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. In January 2025, NATO launched Baltic Sentry to protect undersea cables and pipelines. NATO said minesweepers taking part in the operation use unmanned underwater vehicles to inspect seabed infrastructure.

Source: VietVance