NATO sends 3 warships to ensure security during Vilnius Summit.

According to information published by NATO on July 11, 2023, during the Vilnius Summit, the alliance strategically positioned one of its four high-readiness maritime groups, the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1), in the Baltic Sea.
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De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate HNLMS Tromp. (Picture source: NATO)

The SNMG1, led by the flagship frigate FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern from Germany, also includes the Dutch HNLMS De Zeven Provincien and the Italian destroyer ITS Caio Duilio, all of which contribute to maritime security in the Baltic region.

Stationed off the Lithuanian coast, SNMG1’s primary duty is to maintain situational awareness both from the sky and at sea. Other key players in this Task Group are the Dutch HNLMS De Zeven Provincien and the Italian destroyer ITS Caio Duilio, both of which boost NATO’s presence in the area.

This Task Group's activities form a part of NATO’s multi-domain deployment strategy which sees the distribution of surface, sub-surface, and air assets across NATO territories—from the High North and Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Summit

The summit is taking place amid an ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. In his January 2023 address to the Lithuanian Parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refers to the summit as fateful. As of July 8, 2023, 24 member states have officially expressed their support for Ukraine's NATO membership.

Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea are attending the summit to fortify their relationships with NATO amid escalating tensions with China and Russia.