Minister of Defence Häkkänen decides on US Marine Corps’ participation in enhancing maritime domain awareness in Southwest Finland and in the Archipelago Sea

“Having the US Marine Corps unit in Finland and as part of NATO’s Baltic Sentry will strengthen the security of Finland and the Baltic Sea region. This cooperation is a continuation of our international exercises with our Allies,” says Minister of Defence Häkkänen. “A similar cooperation produced great results in spring 2025. The expertise and systems of the US Marine Corps are ideal for enhancing Finland’s maritime domain awareness and supporting our maritime surveillance." The unit will contribute to stronger maritime domain awareness as part of Baltic Sentry, NATO’s enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA) in the Baltic Sea. NATO launched Baltic Sentry to enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea, demonstrate its ability to prevent and counter threats to critical undersea infrastructure and strengthen the creation of an integrated regional picture. Inquiries: Timo Ristimäki, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 224. The press release was edited on 20.10.2026: the area has been specified to apply to Southwestern Finland and the Archipelago Sea region.]]>