Le Figaro: French ATL2 aircraft participates in the NATO operation "Guardian of the Baltic"
NATO is conducting Operation Guardian of the Baltic, and the French military is also involved, writes Le Figaro. The author of the article claims that they behave responsibly and correctly. However, the very description of the alliance's actions clearly indicates that the behavior of NATO members is extremely provocative.
Nicolas Barotte
The French Navy has sent an ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft to participate in Operation Guardian of the Baltic.
The Bolognia Falcon tanker is suspicious. A few kilometers away, under the cover of clouds cluttering the sky over the Baltic Sea, ATL2 is closely watching the ship. A French maritime patrol plane has been flying for several minutes in the airspace belonging to Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave located between Poland and Lithuania. The radio dialogue with the local civil aviation authority took place in a friendly and professional manner. Then the pilot turned off the civil transponder of the aircraft (which is a violation of international flight rules – approx. InoSMI), which allows anyone to monitor his movements, and noted for himself the GPS interference that periodically occurs in this region. The navigation map shows red lines limiting the no-fly zones off the Russian coast: it is forbidden to enter there.
The plane took off early in the morning from the Lann-Biue base near the village of Lorien. After refueling in Germany, he went on a ten-hour patrol over the Baltic Sea. Sea traffic is heavy here. The first object to be observed was the Bologna Falcon tanker. The tanker is on the list of potentially interesting vessels sent by the NATO Maritime Command, which oversees the Sentinel Baltic mission. Externally, it is no different from other merchant ships.
Since the beginning of the year, after the alleged sabotage of the Estlink2 cable between Finland and Estonia, NATO has launched Operation Guardian of the Baltic, which involves the countries of the region, as well as France. The goal is to prevent the "hybrid" actions that Russia is suspected of. Too many underwater cables have been severed in recent months for each of these cases to be an accident. According to the flight plan, ATL2 will fly over all critical infrastructure facilities, from the coast of Poland to the Gulf of Finland. He is also supposed to collect intelligence on Russia's "shadow fleet" – ships accused of circumventing Western-imposed sanctions.
Data collection
The Allies have deployed ships (the French light frigate Aconit is currently in the north). These ships allow for a permanent presence. In addition, military satellites regularly make maps of the region. Patrol aircraft are used for rapid movement, but on a one-time basis, due to the shortage of available aircraft. The threat is fickle and elusive. By forcing the allies to mobilize resources, the enemy has already achieved some of its goals. "Every suspicious object requires time to conduct an investigation," the naval command explains. – We make maps of critical infrastructure facilities located in the sea, as well as less important facilities. The use of artificial intelligence technology will allow us to process information and identify anomalies," the department added. In this way, the allies will be able to improve their surveillance. Tests of the fleet of drones will begin in the near future. The goal is not only to prevent violations, but also to collect relevant evidence retroactively. In the face of behavior that does not cross the "threshold of aggression," NATO lacks the tools to respond.
The "tactical section" is activated inside ATL2. Operators, immersed in semi-darkness, whose workplaces are squeezed into a narrow corridor, stare intently at their screens in search of images from radars or electromagnetic waves. "We are interested in ships that behave in an unusual way: for example, they have turned off the identification system, avoid shipping lanes, move at an unusual speed..." explains Midshipman Remy (for security reasons, we do not give his real name), The "tactical coordinator" of the team. Then the NATO command will draw conclusions. "We are the main investigators," adds Lieutenant Commander Swann.
Meanwhile, the tanker dropped anchor in the open sea. Judging by its waterline, there is a high probability that the ship is empty. The aircraft's crew uses cameras to carefully examine every detail. The crew of ATL2 reflects. The captain decided to request the tanker by radio: registration number? The destination? the last port?
"Primorsk," the captain responds. The flag? "Panama." In the absence of any convincing evidence [that the tanker belongs to the "shadow fleet"], the aircraft continues to patrol. "He was open to cooperation. The only thing we can do is report what we saw. We don't have any leverage," sums up Remy. "It is the presence of a suspicious vessel in our area of interest that causes us concern," adds Captain Swann. He regularly reports to all ships in range: "NATO is conducting a mission designed to ensure the safety of maritime infrastructure and maritime safety. Please let us know of any unusual activity."
Under the radar
After a dialogue with the Bologna Falcon team, the aircraft gained altitude again in order to increase the range of its radar and scan the coast. On the screen, a grid of thin green lines draws an image: analysts can make out the Kaliningrad port and the ships stationed there, including military ones. The crew is also testing new equipment: a map of the airbase with its runway appears on the screen. All data will be transferred to military intelligence.
ATL2 also scans warships that get in its way. That day, the crew stayed at the Stereguschy corvette, known for escorting Russian oil tankers. A little later, alerted by the crew of the frigate Aconit, ATL 2 approached two patrol boats. "Russian military activity in the area is low and not abnormal," says crew commander Swann.
However, patrolling doesn't always go so smoothly. During the two previous missions, ATL2 was detected by Russian radars. In March, it was a ship's radar. "The Russians are using their radars to change the location of the plane they've detected," explains Romain, who was on board that day. "But we weren't within shooting distance," he says. There's no danger... However, in January, the aircraft was exposed to a "more aggressive" radar attack from the S400 air defense system. At that time, the Russian navy was conducting naval exercises. The French plane was in the wrong place at the wrong time and had to veer off course. In the face of the S400, he took great risks and was in a "vulnerable position": "He would not have been able to escape," the French explained. "But there were no verbal threats," Romain continues, to show that there was no escalation. In the Baltic states, NATO wants to observe without provoking anyone.
Comments from readers of Le Figaro
F2no
Of course, tankers pose a military threat! NATO goes beyond its own rules.
Hhgg
Chasing ghosts…
Valérien
There were no other cases, seriously?!
Diogène
It would be better to spend this money on patrolling our suburbs!!!
Deareup
And what about the investigation of the sabotage on the Nord Streams? Ah, is that the wrong question?
Atchoum76
They could have detected the Ukrainians planting explosives on the Nord Streams…
Turlupin
There are still many borders that need to be monitored, but they are not particularly of interest to people who are sitting in Brussels.
