Navy News
Direct from the front-line, the official newspaper of the Royal Navy, Navy News, brings you the latest news, features and award winning photos every month.
Finn ice – Iron Duke helps newest ally integrate into NATO on Baltic exercise
4 December 2024
Royal Navy frigate HMS Iron Duke has completed the first stage of a mini-winter deployment to the Baltic, helping the Finns integrate into NATO.
The Portsmouth-based warship is closing out the year working with our allies in the region with exercises, training and port visits and diplomatic events.
Fresh from monitoring Russian Navy activity in the Channel, the ship made a beeline for the eastern Baltic to take part in Freezing Winds.
The nine-day exercise, played out in the Baltic and Gulf of Bothnia – the waters which separate NATO’s two newest members, Sweden and Finland – saw both of the alliance’s northern European task groups converge: Standing Maritime Group 1, comprising larger warships (such as Iron Duke), and Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1, comprising a good smattering of minehunters.
In all, almost 4,000 personnel were from 15 NATO nations, signalling the importance of securing Europe’s crucial waterways and chokepoints for the prosperity of allies and partners.
It was the second run out for Freezing Winds – and the second year the UK has been represented in the Finnish-led exercise.
Naval participants mustered in the Finnish port of Turku or, as in Iron Duke’s case, Riga in Latvia (the visit coincided with the Baltic state’s independence day celebrations).
By Baltic standards, the weather was actually relatively mild: fluctuating around 0C with snow, sleet flurries and rain – but certainly challenging enough for anyone working on Iron Duke’s quarter/upper/flight deck… or her sea boat crews… especially when you throw in the wind chill.
To the challenge of environment, now add the exercise scenarios: protection of key sea routes in the Baltic; amphibious warfare; crisis and conflict situations – all conducted as realistically as conditions allowed.
The complex exercise involved multiple warfighting situations fending off aggressor aircraft and surface units. As well as allowing units to sharpen their specialist roles, the exercise also helps to nurture vital links between the UK and NATO militaries.
Operating with Finland as one of our newest NATO allies was a privilege and throughout the exercise Ship’s Company have proven that we can operate in demanding warfighting scenarios.
Iron Duke’s Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron was launched repeatedly by day and night, carrying out warship detection, surveillance and intelligence gathering in addition to surface warfare training.
“Exercise Freezing Winds was a fantastic experience,” said Lieutenant Commander Paul Harsent, the frigate’s Gunnery Officer. “Operating with Finland as one of our newest NATO allies was a privilege and throughout the exercise Ship’s Company have proven that we can operate in demanding warfighting scenarios.”
The Finns are keen to see the exercise become a regular fixture in NATO’s diary both to assist their integration into the alliance but also to demonstrate the resolve of the alliance to maintain the safety and security of the Baltic region and freedom of movement on its waters.
Commander David Armstrong, HMS Iron Duke’s Commanding Officer, would certainly relish the opportunity to take part again.
“The Royal Navy and NATO have never been closer; exercises such as Freezing Winds are fantastic opportunities for us to prove our seamless ability to work with our partner nations and to bolster security and protect underwater infrastructure – we all know this is of vital importance.”
Iron Duke is now in a snowy Tallinn before resuming her deployment with an exercise involving the Joint Expeditionary Force before returning home to Portsmouth in time for Christmas.