For the first time since becoming a full NATO Ally, Sweden has hosted NATO troops for the annual maritime exercise BALTOPS 2024 – aimed at strengthening collective deterrence and defence at sea.
Synopsis
NATO’s newest member Sweden has been hosting US Marines and Polish soldiers for exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2024.
The mainly maritime-focused exercise takes place every year in the Baltic region. This part of the exercise took place on land on the Swedish archipelago of Gotland.
Overall, more than 20 NATO Allies, including 50 ships and dozens of aircraft, participated in BALTOPS. This year was particularly notable as it marked Sweden’s first participation as a full NATO member.
BALTOPS allows Allies to practise collective deterrence and defence at sea. The Baltic Sea region is crucial to protect because of its trade and energy routes. The exercise is led by US Naval Forces Europe-Africa and the US Sixth Fleet. Command and control is carried out by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).
Footage includes shots of Swedish and Polish soldiers and US Marines exercising with Swedish combat vehicles (CV90s). The soundbite is from Colonel Dan Rasmussen, Commander of the Swedish Gotland Regiment.
Transcript
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) GOPRO SHOT – GOTLAND FLAG FLYING FROM A SWEDISH CV90 COMBAT VEHICLE AS IT DRIVES ACROSS EXERCISE GROUND
(00:12) WIDE SHOT - SWEDISH CV90 FIRING
(00:23) VARIOUS SHOTS - SWEDISH CV90S DRIVING ACROSS EXERCISE GROUND
(00:44) SLOW MO SHOT – SWEDISH SOLDIERS RUNNING ACROSS EXERCISE GROUND
(00:56) MEDIUM SHOT – SWEDISH CV90 DRIVING ACROSS EXERCISE GROUND
(01:02) VARIOUS SHOTS – SWEDISH SOLDIERS APPLYING CAMO PAINT TO FACE, GOTLAND FLAG FLYING
(01:23) DRONE SHOTS (NO SOUND) – SWEDISH CV90 FIRING AND DRIVING ACROSS EXERCISE GROUND
(01:54) VARIOUS SHOTS – SWEDISH CV90 CREW MEETING AND TALKING WITH US MARINES
(02:16) WIDE SHOT – FAMILY PHOTO SWEDISH SOLDIERS AND US MARINES
(02:26) VARIOUS SHOTS – US MARINES AND SNIPERS IN WOODS
(02:47) MEDIUM SHOT – US MARINES AND SNIPERS WALKING UP A DIRT TRACK
(02:55) CLOSE SHOTS – FEMALE US MARINE’S FACE
(03:06) SLOW MO SHOT (NO SOUND) – US MARINES RUNNING ACROSS EXERCISE GROUND
(03:25) VARIOUS SHOTS – US MARINES EXERCISING IN THE WOODS AND LONG GRASS
(03:46) SLOW MO SHOT – US MARINES RUNNING ALONG A DIRT TRACK
(03:57) CLOSE SHOT - SWEDISH MARINES STOOD TALKING
(04:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – POLISH SOLDIERS HANDLING ARTILLERY ROUNDS AND BULLETS
(04:21) MEDIUM SHOT – POLISH SOLDIERS STOOD AROUND TALKING
(04:26) MEDIUM SHOT – POLISH SOLDIER RUNNING
(04:31) VARIOUS SHOTS – POLISH SOLDIER BY TREE, WEAPON READY
(04:41) MEDIUM SHOT – SWEDISH CV90 DRIVING ACROSS EXERCISE GROUND
(04:50) VARIOUS SHOTS – SWEDISH SOLDIERS IN THE LONG GRASSS, CV90 FIRING IN THE BACKGROUND
(05:05) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) COLONEL DAN RASMUSSEN, COMMANDER OF THE SWEDISH GOTLAND REGIMENT
“So, we’ve had partners back in the day, coming to exercise for instance through the years for BALTOPS. We’ve had foreign troops here but this is the first time as a NATO member that we, in this case for BALTOPS 2024, invite US soldiers as well as Polish soldiers to come and train, exercise and cooperate on Gotland.”
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