Why has Germany set up a maritime tactical headquarters in Baltic Sea region

A new multinational (NATO) naval headquarters for the Baltic Sea in the port city of Rostock was inaugurated by Germany on Monday.

Amid rising tensions with Russia, the maritime tactical headquarters, Commander Task Force Baltic, aims to boost NATO's defence readiness in the region, and will be made capable of leading operations during a conflict. The centre will be helmed by a German admiral and managed by staff from 11 other Nato countries.

Germany Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the centre will be ready to direct naval operations in times of peace, crisis and war and added that the "relevance of the region has become even more evident against the backdrop of the ongoing Russian aggression in our immediate neighbourhood."

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"The headquarters will play a crucial role in the preparation of military situation reports and in responding to regional challenges, including the protection of NATO member states' interests against aggressive actions, particularly given the proximity of Russia," Pistorius was quoted as saying.

The centre is expected to coordinate the naval activities in the region and give NATO a clear picture of the maritime situation in the region round the clock.

The Centre comes even as Germany has accused Russia of scaling up spying and sabotage activities against the West.

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According to Pistorius, Russian aggression against the West manifests in different ways, including cyber and hybrid threats. “This is why we must ensure that Putin will not have his way. We must defend ourselves and do whatever we can to support our partners at NATO’s eastern flank,” he added.