NATO conducts submarine exercises in the Baltic Sea.

According to RIA Novosti on November 8, NATO's anti-submarine warfare exercise, led by the Swedish Navy, began in the Baltic Sea and will last until November 14.

The exercise, known as Merlin, will take place along the Swedish coast and territorial waters. The Swedish Armed Forces said that Sweden is conducting the exercise to share its anti-submarine warfare experience with NATO.

According to the Swedish Armed Forces, the uneven seabed of Sweden is an ideal hiding place for submarines, but this requires specialized technology and skills. The Swedish Navy, however, has developed anti-submarine warfare capabilities suited to the complex seabed conditions of the Baltic Sea.

The exercise will involve ships from NATO's Standing Naval Group 1 (SNMG1), frigates, destroyers, support ships, and submarines from the Swedish and German navies, along with helicopters.

According to the armed forces, this is the second consecutive year such exercises have been held, and starting in the fall of 2026, they will become a regular exercise of the military alliance.

Previously, on November 7th, Politico reported that several countries belonging to the Joint Northern Expeditionary Force (JEF) had conducted exercises in Bodø, northern Norway, to practice responding to a potential conflict with Russia..

JEF includes the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Lithuania.

Politico reports that British military planners have traveled to Bodø, nestled between the sea and the snow-capped peaks of the Arctic Circle, to develop military strategies to counter threats from Russia.

British Defence Secretary John Healey, who attended the exercise, praised the alliance's awareness of British leadership, stating that the JEF countries "are best positioned to assess risks and respond to perceived threats" emanating from Russia, and to ensure NATO support should a stalemate occur.