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Jun 19 2026

NCIA strengthens NATO interoperability at sea

Interoperability-focused exercises are essential for NATO’s ability to deter and defer. For over five decades, BALTOPS has provided NATO Allies and Partners a high-end operational environment to train national forces as a unified and cohesive military component.

From 4 to 19 June 2026, the execution phase of Exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) was conducted across the Baltic Sea region. The exercise, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet and executed under the command and control of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), remains the premier annual maritime-focused exercise in the region.

BALTOPS 2026, with approximately 6,000 participating personnel from 15 Allied Nations, delivered high-end training across the full spectrum of naval warfare, including command and control, maritime operations, air defence, anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, amphibious operations, and emerging capabilities.

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) provided essential communication and information services (CIS) across static and deployed exercise locations, enabling participating Nations and NATO forces to operate effectively in a complex multinational environment.

NCIA’s expertise underpinned mission-critical capabilities, including command and control, maritime awareness, common operational picture, surveillance, and intelligence information sharing.

This year’s iteration marked a significant evolution in exercise design with the relocation of the Exercise Control function to Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS), introducing new operational requirements and responsibilities. For the first time in BALTOPS history, NCIA CIS Support Unit (CSU) Brunssum assumed a central role in delivering the technical and operational backbone required to support the exercise.

“Supporting Exercise BALTOPS 2026 represented a significant achievement for CSU Brunssum. The team demonstrated outstanding professionalism, flexibility, and technical expertise, ensuring that NATO forces had the reliable CIS services required to achieve their mission objectives,” highlighted Jakub Rybinski, Section Head of Project Management, Plans and Requirements at NCIA CSU Brunssum.

Exercise BALTOPS 2026 demonstrated both the interoperability of NATO Allies and Partners and the ability of NCIA to support large-scale NATO operations by adapting to challenges, innovating solutions, and delivering mission-critical services under demanding conditions.