Polish minehunters and NATO group search Gulf of Gdańsk port approaches

Seabed searches on the routes into Gdańsk and Gdynia

The core of the joint activity was mine countermeasures on the port approaches in the Gulf of Gdańsk. These channels carry container ships bound for Baltic Hub, bulk carriers and tankers calling at the Port of Gdańsk, and traffic into the Port of Gdynia. Crews searched for and identified hazardous objects lying on the seabed, a legacy of two world wars that still shapes how navies approach safety of navigation in the Baltic.

The programme also covered formation manoeuvring, communications between ships of different flags and search and rescue drills involving a rescue helicopter. All of it serves interoperability, the ability of forces from several nations to operate under common procedures and standards. For the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla, whose crews specialise in mine threat reconnaissance and the security of sea lines of communication, this is core business rather than a one-off exercise.

Four Baltic navies in one formation

Poland was represented by ORP Kormoran and ORP Albatros, Project 258 Kormoran II class minehunters built by Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdańsk. Their hulls are made of non-magnetic steel, reducing the risk of triggering magnetic influence mines. Allied participants were the Lithuanian Navy flagship LNS Jotvingis, the German Frankenthal class minehunter FGS Homburg and the Finnish Katanpää class mine countermeasures vessel FNS Purunpää.

Poland also has a permanent presence in the NATO group. Since 1 July 2026, ORP Mewa, the third Kormoran II class minehunter of the 13th Minesweeper Squadron, has been operating as part of SNMCMG1. In July the ship took part in Sea Breeze 26-2 in Portland, and its deployment adds to a long record of Polish mine countermeasures units serving in allied formations.

Operation Zatoka, Baltic Sentry and the infrastructure on the seabed

The activity forms part of Poland's national Operation Zatoka and of NATO's Baltic Sentry. The Alliance launched Baltic Sentry in January 2025, after a series of incidents damaging subsea cables and pipelines, to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure across the region. A visible presence of warships, continuous maritime surveillance and close cooperation between national and allied forces are central to deterring potential threats.

For the Polish sector of the Baltic, the stakes keep rising. Power and telecommunications cables and the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline run along the seabed, while the Baltic Power, Baltica 2 and Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore wind farms are taking shape at sea. Surveyed seabed and secure approach channels are what allow the ports of the Gulf of Gdańsk to keep handling ever larger ships.