SYNOPSIS
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) is guarding critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) in the Baltic Sea as part of Baltic Sentry, a maritime patrol activity intended to deter further incidents against Allied undersea pipelines and cables.
Baltic Sentry, announced by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on 14 January 2025, comes after potential sabotage on several undersea pipelines and cables between NATO’s Baltic and Nordic Allies. While Allies are responsible for monitoring and guarding their territorial waters, Baltic Sentry leverages NATO’s standing maritime units in international waters to keep a close eye on maritime traffic and look for signs of suspicious behaviour.
SNMCMG1, currently led by the Royal Netherlands Navy, patrolled the Øresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden on 4 February 2025. Normally tasked with training to clear sea mines, the group is now using its powerful sensors and submarine drones to monitor CUI while scoping out passing traffic for signs of wrongdoing. Working with Standing NATO Maritime Group One, the Alliance’s squadron of frigates tasked to the Baltic Sea, the mine countermeasures group will give Allies the situational awareness they need to protect their CUI.
Footage includes shots of Royal Netherlands Navy ships patrolling near Denmark, as well as an interview with Lieutenant Commander Sander Klop, commanding officer of the HNLMS Schiedam.
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS (MUTE) – ROYAL NETHERLANDS NAVY MINESWEEPER HNLMS SCHIEDAM IN THE BALTIC SEA
(00:13) MID SLOW MOTION SHOT (MUTE) – NETHERLANDS FLAG BLOWING IN WIND ABOARD HNLMS SCHIEDAM
(00:21) MID SLOW MOTION SHOT (MUTE) – NATO FLAG BLOWING IN WIND ABOARD HNLMS SCHIEDAM
(00:57) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROYAL NETHERLANDS NAVY SURVEY SHIP HNLMS LUYMES AT SEA
(01:08) VARIOUS SHOTS – SCREENS ON BRIDGE OF HNLMS SCHIEDAM SHOWING PREPARATION OF RHIBS (RIGID-HULLED INFLATABLE BOATS)
(01:20) MID SHOT – CREW MEMBERS PREPARE RHIB FOR LAUNCH
(01:26) VARIOUS SHOTS – CREW DIVERS FROM HNLMS SCHIEDAM PUT ON DIVING EQUIPMENT
(01:35) VARIOUS SHOTS – DIVERS FROM HNLMS SCHIEDAM ARE LOWERED IN A RHIB INTO THE BALTIC SEA
(01:59) VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS (MUTE) – DIVERS IN RHIBS IN THE BALTIC SEA NEXT TO HNLMS SCHIEDAM
(02:40) VARIOUS SHOTS – DUTCH DIVERS IN RHIBS DIVE IN THE BALTIC SEA
(03:08) VARIOUS SHOTS - CREW DIVERS FROM HNLMS SCHIEDAM PREPARE AN ROV (REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE) FOR LAUNCH INTO THE BALTIC SEA
(03:23) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROV IS LAUNCHED INTO THE BALTIC SEA
(03:55) WIDE SHOT - ROYAL NETHERLANDS NAVY SURVEY SHIP HNLMS LUYMES IN THE BALTIC SEA
(04:06) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROV LAUNCHED INTO THE BALTIC SEA FROM THE STERN OF THE HNLMS LUYMES
(04:31) VARIOUS SHOTS – SHOTS OF UNDERSEA PIPING ON COMPUTER SCREEN ABOARD THE HNLMS LUYMES
(04:53) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - LIEUTENANT COMMANDER SANDER KLOP, COMMANDING OFFICER OF HNLMS SCHIEDAM
‘The modern society is very dependent on the underwater infrastructure, be it Internet cables, be it pipelines with fossil fuels or otherwise. I think damaging these infrastructures can cripple a society so I think it’s essential to prevent that.’
(05:12) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - LIEUTENANT COMMANDER SANDER KLOP, COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE HNLMS SCHIEDAM
“We monitor, report and ask questions. That means ships that pass by, we look at. If they have any anomalies, we note that and we start asking them a few questions. If there’s any anomalies around the underwater infrastructure, we can map and look at the underwater infrastructure with our systems. We can map them by sonar and we can identify any damages or anomalies by ROVs and or divers.
(05:42) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - LIEUTENANT COMMANDER SANDER KLOP, COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE HNLMS SCHIEDAM
“We’re only one ship of the group and apart from the Mine Countermeasures Group, the Standing NATO Maritime Group is also in the region. We are supported by maritime patrol aircraft, satellites and other means so that means ships, drones, aircraft, satellites. It’s a big operation. It’s not just us looking, it’s a big NATO operation.
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