NATO fleet command to the Netherlands: 'We do have an interest here'
Sat Jan 4 10:53

"This afternoon at two o'clock the bow will head north." The Dutch frigate Zr.Ms.Tromp will depart for Norway to take over the NATO mission in the northern waters. Commander Arjen Warnaar will be in command for a year, with the Tromp as flagship.

"We are the 'first responders' in the northern waters," Warnaar says in the NOS Radio 1 Journaal about the fleet association, which is called Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 in full . There are four of these NATO fleet associations. This group is active in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

There have been several incidents in the area in recent months. Last November, two data cables in the Baltic Sea were broken after a Chinese ship passed by. In December, it happened again. Then, a power cable and four data cables were damaged in the sea between Finland and Estonia. A drag track tens of kilometers long was discovered on the seabed, possibly caused by the dragging of an anchor.

The presence of the NATO fleet is intended to deter, among other things. But as the flagship of this rapid reaction force, it is also up to the Tromp to respond if something happens, says Warnaar. "Sabotage actions on cables can also be part of that."

'Being where something happens'
It is a huge area, which the commander will be in charge of. "If I had to keep a one hundred percent eye on everything, that would of course be much too big. For us, it is important to be there where something is happening." Warnaar's task is complementary to that. "Of course, all countries also have their own coast guard and their own navy. We are a joint means of defense, with a very large NATO flag above it."

Should something happen, Warnaar's NATO group cannot simply intervene. "I am not allowed to do much yet. We are a military instrument that may only do something if the politicians decide to do so. But we are an excellent means of detecting and reporting."

Proud
The Zr.Ms.Tromp will participate in the mission for four and a half months, and then return to Den Helder. Commander Warnaar will then transfer to another flagship and will stay for a year in total. He thinks that the Netherlands is leading the mission is something to be proud of, but: "We often forget that the Netherlands is a truly maritime country. A very large part of our prosperity depends on free transport over sea. We do have an interest here."

In addition, Warnaar points out that the Netherlands has been a NATO member from the very beginning. "That one for all, all for one, that also applies to us, we also have to make our efforts. And a bit of pride: always."