ATLAS - BALTIC SEA STORM 2010 exercises

In the period 25-29 October 2010 in the Bay of Mecklenburg there were held counterterrorist exercises under the cryptonym BALTIC STORM 2010. The exercises within the ATLAS Forum were organised in Rostock by German Police and were the main element of an annual meeting of commanders of intervention units of the EU countries. They were attended by the below-mentioned anti-terrorist units condensed within the task group “water”:

GSG 9 (Germany),
NI (Sweden),
GIGN (France),
GEO (Spain),
DSU (Belgium),
AKS (Denmark).
SEK Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania (Germany).

Commanders of other intervention units played a role of observers and took part in works of the operation headquarters in particular in the decision-making process concerning a way of solving a crisis situation.
During the exercises in the period 24-28 October 2010 there was held a training aimed at harmonising police units, which is a standard procedure while conducting such a serious operation and is of special importance for cooperation of police forces of different countries. Whereas, at night from 28 to 29 October of the current year the exercises reached a climax stage i.e. the stage of fulfilling the task.

The scenario of the exercises assumed rescue of 112 hostages held by about 10 terrorists (armed with machine weapons, improvised explosive devices and hand-grenades) on the board of a sea vessel, anchored in the Bay of Mecklenburg near Rostock. In the event of a failure to fulfil political demands of the terrorists, they were to progressively kill the hostages and then sink the ship.

An attack on the ship started on 28 October of the current year at 01.00 a.m. To carry out the assault there were used police helicopters and assault boats of the RIB type by means of which police officers entered the board of the ship and then neutralised the terrorists and explosives by evacuating the hostages at the same time.

The aim of the exercises of the police special groups was to efficiently carry out international counterterrorist operations paying particular attention to the combat of sea piracy and to test in conditions of a real threat worked out tactics and rules of communication between the intervention units of the EU countries.

It should especially be emphasised that in the preparation and in the course of the exercises participated nearly 600 police officers including about 200 anti-terrorists who had at their disposal 10 helicopters, 14 assault RIB boats and 2 supporting ships.