NATO Allies agree to expedite innovation adoption and integration for Baltic Sea security

On Thursday (12 February), eight Allies (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden) agreed to cooperate to rapidly acquire new technology-enabled multi-domain capabilities for naval operations.

The agreement is the positive realisation of NATO's Allied Command Transformation's (ACT) endeavour to enhance multinational maritime operations and the security of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region.

Task Force X-Baltic (TFX-Baltic) was launched in January 2025 to support Baltic Sentry, NATO's enhanced military presence in the Baltic Sea. From March to October 2025, TFX-Baltic enabled ​the deployment and testing of 70 air and maritime drones alongside Allied maritime assets operating in the area. TFX-Baltic leveraged many innovative solutions from the Alliance´s innovation ecosystem, including NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) an​d the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF). The experience showed that autonomous systems and AI-enabled technologies can increase situational awareness, improve the detection of malign activities and deterrence of threats to critical undersea infrastructure.

With this new commitment, Allies reaffirm their readiness to fast-track innovation adoption and integration. Capabilities will cover maritime situational awareness, naval sensing and naval engagements. Such multinational cooperation makes acquisition easier and faster, whether through the development, purchase or leasing of capabilities.