A Polish commander, a staff formed by Poles, and a flagship flying the white-and-red ensign – the NATO mine countermeasures group mission that has just begun once again shows that within the system of collective security we are not only a beneficiary, but also a contributor.

“This is a moment I have been preparing for throughout my entire service up until now,” admits Cdr Kacper Sterne of the 8th Coastal Defense Flotilla. He is taking part in the NATO mission for the fifth time, but for the first time he has set out in the role of commander. Since the beginning of January, the officer has been commanding the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). He will remain in this position for the next six months.

Indispensable X. Czernicki

NATO has four naval groups. Two consist of frigates and destroyers, and two of mine countermeasures vessels. Half normally operate in Northern Europe, and the other half in Southern Europe. They monitor shipping routes, conduct exercises, and demonstrate the presence of the North Atlantic Alliance in sensitive maritime areas. At the same time, they remain in constant readiness to deploy to a region affected by crisis or armed conflict if needed. Not without reason – all of these groups are part of the NATO Response Force.

The Polish Navy has been participating in missions under NATO flag for nearly a quarter of a century, and it is most frequently and most strongly represented precisely in SNMCMG1. Poland regularly assigns minehunters to this group, and more recently also minesweepers. To date, Polish officers have commanded it four times, and the ORP Kontradmirał X. Czernicki ship has served as flagship just as many times. Now another chapter will be added to this long history.

The staff that has been commanding the group since January is composed primarily of officers and non-commissioned officers from the 8th Coastal Defense Flotilla. There are also specialists from other NATO countries. “My deputy is Norwegian, the operations officer is German, and we also have specialists from Finland,” Cdr Kacper Sterne lists. For the duration of one exercise, an Italian officer will also join the staff. Mariners from Italy usually operate within groups active in the Mediterranean Sea, but from time to time MARCOM (Allied Maritime Command) likes to reshuffle the staff or even the entire group. In recent years, Polish ships have even participated in missions in Southern Europe. All of this is done to strengthen ties across the entire Alliance and to give sailors the opportunity to gain experience in an environment different from the one in which they operate on a daily basis.

The Polish-formed staff has been embarked on the ORP Kontradmirał X. Czernicki ship. This has almost become a tradition – though not a rule. A few years ago, a Polish officer commanded the group from aboard the German vessel FGS Elbe, and earlier still the X. Czernicki ship served as a platform for the crew of mainly Dutch and Belgian personnel. “Preparing a ship for such a task is always a lengthy process,” admits LtCdr Mariusz Kujawa, Commanding Officer of the ORP Kontradmirał X. Czernicki ship. “It is necessary to carry out required repairs, equip the ship with additional communications systems, and complete the crew. The ship’s permanently employed personnel does not always perfectly reflect the one that actually deploys on a mission,” he explains. Every detail matters – especially since the ship serves not only as a command ship within the group, but also as a logistics vessel. “We can supply other ships with fuel and water, carry out minor repairs for them in our onboard workshop. We have a decompression chamber that allows us to support diving operations. If necessary, we are even able to bake bread,” LtCdr Mariusz Kujawa adds.

Eyes on the Baltic

The staff underwent its final rehearsal before the mission back in the summer. At that time, the ORP Kontradmirał X. Czernicki ship operated in the Baltic Sea for several days accompanied by two Kormoran II-class minehunters. The staff managed their activities, while a commission appointed by the Armed Forces Operational Command evaluated the issuance of orders, reporting procedures, and information flow. In short, they checked whether the specialists preparing for the mission were able to plan and conduct a mine-countermeasure operation.

Since January, the staff has been commanding a larger and more diverse group of ships. Over the coming months, SNMCMG1 will include minehunters from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Estonia. The group will take part in a series of exercises and mine-countermeasure operations. Detailed task schedules and routes are classified. “Today, I can only say that we will participate in Exercise Open Spirit, which will take place off the coast of Latvia in the first half of the year,” Cdr Kacper Sterne admits. Although SNMCMG1, as in previous years, will operate in northern European waters, it will spend most of its time in the Baltic Sea. This is no coincidence.

The Baltic Sea is currently one of the world’s most tense regions. NATO vessels in many places operate almost side by side with ships of the Russian Federation. Shipping lanes are also regularly used by tankers belonging to the so-called ‘shadow fleet,’ transporting Russian oil subject to sanctions. Moreover, in recent years, especially in the region of the Scandinavian Peninsula and the Baltic states, there have been more than a dozen incidents resulting in damage to critical infrastructure, such as the Balticconnector gas pipeline or numerous telecommunications cables. Experts are convinced that this is one of the manifestations of the hybrid war unleashed by Russia against the West. The issue is all the more serious because installations located on the Baltic seabed are of key importance in the context of reducing Western dependence on Russian resources. One example is the Baltic Pipe, through which Poland imports more than 45% of its required gas from Norway. Equally important is the security of shipping lanes themselves. The Baltic Sea is considered one of the most congested bodies of water in the world. Every day, freighters loaded to the brim with goods traverse the sea, including – once again – tankers delivering gas or oil from other parts of the world. Their destinations include the LNG terminal in Świnoujście and the oil terminal in Gdańsk. In 2025, vessels calling at these ports accounted for the transport of more than half of the raw materials purchased by Poland. In such a situation, even a minor disruption to navigation may result in losses counted in millions of dollars or euros.

That is why, following the aforementioned incidents, NATO decided to strengthen the supervision over the Baltic Sea. In January 2025, Operation Baltic Sentry was launched, involving Allied groups and ships from all countries in the region. Vessels now appear more frequently than a few years ago along key shipping routes and near critical infrastructure. “On land, protecting such facilities is easier. They are located within the territory of individual states, which guard access to them. An act of sabotage requires crossing borders. At sea, national borders end 12 miles from the coast. Beyond that lies the open sea, where anyone may be present. Therefore, ensuring the security of infrastructure located there is a major challenge. What would be difficult to achieve using national forces alone, we accomplish using Allied forces,” explains Vice-Admiral Piotr Nieć, Deputy Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces and at the same time Deputy Commander of the Command Task Force-Baltic – the NATO command responsible for activities within Operation Baltic Sentry. SNMCMG1 is an important element of this puzzle. “Poland’s involvement in this group’s activities clearly shows that we are able to meet our commitments as NATO allies. We are not only a recipient, but also a provider of security,” the Vice-Admiral concludes.

From Ship to Platform

New tasks have caused the nature of SNMCMG1’s mission to change slightly. “It is a matter of shifting emphasis. Although we will still deal with issues related to mine warfare, we will devote more attention than before to building situational awareness,” Cdr Kacper Sterne announces. What does this mean in practice? Crews will, for example, observe whether ships passing through the Baltic Sea have their AIS – an electronic identification system – switched on, and whether the data it transmits corresponds to reality. Reports on this will be sent to CTF-B. “Ships are now used to a greater extent than before as tools for gathering information,” Cdr Kacper Sterne emphasizes.

The capabilities in this area have increased significantly in recent years. “This mainly concerns monitoring the lower hemisphere. Modern minehunters are gradually transforming into multi-role platforms for collecting data from the seabed. They have not only onboard sonars at their disposal, but also a whole range of underwater vehicles. Just look at our Kormoran II vessels,” notes Rear-Admiral Piotr Sikora, Commander of the 8th Coastal Defense Flotilla, who himself commanded a NATO mine-countermeasure group years ago.

Poland has three such ships, with three more to enter service soon. Before long, the first Kormoran will also join SNMCMG1. As Rear-Admiral Piotr Sikora has repeatedly emphasized, they would not exist without the experience gained from missions under the NATO flag. Cdr Kacper Sterne expresses a similar opinion. “Serving in the SNMCMG1 requires thinking outside the box. It is a great test of knowledge and skills, and at the same time an opportunity to move forward. After each mission, I felt as if I was returning a hundred times wiser. Today I repeat the same to my subordinates: ‘Don’t be afraid. At first it may be difficult, but fear makes things look twice as bad as they are. You can do it – and you will only benefit from it,’” concludes the SNMCMG commander.

The participation in NATO missions has always been of enormous importance for the Polish Navy. It provided an opportunity to strengthen Poland’s position within allied structures and served as an impulse for development. It showed that Poland remains loyal to NATO and is capable of contributing its own piece in the structure of collective security. Today, however – when the Polish Navy has begun to rebuild its capabilities for good, and the international situation has become highly complex – this role seems more important than ever before.