DATE: Thursday, May 22, 1997                TAG: 9705220470
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A16  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Staff Report 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   31 lines

NORFOLK SHIPS HEAD FRIDAY TO BALTIC SEA EXERCISE

As the dozen Navy warships arriving home today and Friday settle into port, other Norfolk-based ships will be crossing their wakes, leaving port for an early summer exercise in the Baltic Sea.

They will represent the United States in the annual invitational maritime exercise called BALTOP '97, an operation designed to demonstrate the collective will of NATO and partner nations to counter instability in that part of the world. This is the 25th year the exercise has been held.

Leaving Friday will be the guided missile cruisers Cape St. George and Anzio, the guided missile frigate Estocin and coastal patrol boat Thunderbolt. The Coast Guard cutter Legare, which is also participating, left its home port in Portsmouth last week.

Rear Adm. James B. Hinkle, commander of Cruiser/Destroyer Group, also based in Norfolk, will command the exercise from his flagship, Anzio.

More than 50 ships from 12 European nations will be conducting the maneuvers between June 16-27. All surrounding nations in the vicinity of the Baltic Sea have been invited as participants, or observers. Those NATO members and nations participating in the Partnership for Peace program are: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

The purpose of BALTOPS is to promote joint and multinational inter-operability and to increase mutual understanding within the Baltic region, according to NATO officials.

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