FINLAND-EU-BALTIC-DEFENCE-MARITIME-INFRASTRUCTURE-SECURITY

An Airbus Helicopter OH-HVG AS332L Super Puma of the Finnish Border Guard approaches the Finnish icebreaking vessel Polaris, owned and operated by Finnish state-owned company Arctia, as members of Finnish Border Guard, Police and Armed Forces take part in the MARSEC EU 26 joint exercise hosted by the Finnish Border Guard off Helsinki in the Gulf of Finland, Finland on September 17, 2026. MARSEC EU 26 is the European Union's third annual maritime security exercise and is currently taking place in Finland. Hosted by the Finnish Border Guard and organised together with EU Member States and agencies, the exercise supports better coordination and information exchange. Special attention is given to protecting key underwater infrastructure, including cables and pipelines, and to dealing with suspicious maritime activity and potential hybrid threats. (Photo by Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP)