Overview

• Merz flew by helicopter to the frigate Bayern off Warnemünde and watched a choreographed capability display featuring air‑defense drills with Eurofighters, onboard damage‑control, live gunnery and an anti‑submarine exercise with Sea Lynx helicopters.
• He inspected the Commander Task Force Baltic headquarters in Rostock, which since 2024 plans operations and leads NATO‑assigned naval forces in the Baltic region.
• The chancellor warned that Russia tests allied defenses daily and pledged continued investment in equipment and personnel to safeguard the freedom and territorial integrity of NATO territory.
• Media reports citing U.S. and other Western officials say Russia or Russia‑aligned actors are using drones to monitor supply routes in eastern Germany; Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said such activity would not be surprising and noted limited legal and technical countermeasures.
• Greens and BSW criticized the visit as a military showcase that overlooks regional social issues, while Merz departed afterward for a Franco‑German ministerial in Toulon where economic and defense cooperation are on the agenda and an FCAS timeline has slipped to year‑end.