Polish Paratroopers Land on Gotland in NATO Drill

Large-Scale Airborne Deployment 
On September 24, Polish reconnaissance platoons were first sent into the area to secure it, with the full force of more than 100 soldiers deployed on September 25. Poland's Operational Command called the exercise "the largest deployment of airborne forces and resources in the history of Poland and Sweden's cooperation." In conjunction with the paratroopers, Poland's Naval Missile Unit sent a combat module with Naval Strike Missile (NSM) launchers to simulate strikes on hostile vessels in the Baltic Sea.

The operation follows the Short Notice Exercise (SNEX) venue, which allows evaluators to see how forces can react quickly on short notice with little advanced preparation. The Swedish Armed Forces reported that "The drill tests concrete defence plans for the Baltic Sea region [and] demonstrates the readiness of Swedish and Polish troops jointly protecting the island."

Gotland as a Strategic Focus 
Vice Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, head of Sweden's operational command, stressed that Russia is the impending threat, noting, "The times of discussing an unnamed enemy are past us." Gotland, located centrally on the Baltic Sea between Stockholm, the Baltic states and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, has become a focal point for allied defence planning. Sweden reestablished a permanent military presence on the island in 2018 and has since built on capacity including air defence systems and an auxiliary-ship port.

Since Sweden's inclusion in NATO, Gotland has experienced regular allied training, including British paratroopers landing near Visby in May and U.S. forces evaluating HIMARS and munitions from multiple-launch rocket systems this past summer. Military analysts view the operation as part of a broader effort by NATO members to deter Moscow from provocative actions, including increasing airspace violations in the Baltic and other areas, in direct succession to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.