U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, middle, takes a photo with the USCGC Eagle’s crew during a reception aboard the cutter, June 2, 2023, in Helsinki, Finland. Eagle is a tall ship used as a training platform for future Coast Guard Academy officers as well as a vessel utilized for establishing and maintaining domestic and international relationships. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Carmen Caver)

Guest author Peter Ong provides a look at the continuing relationship between the Coast Guard and new NATO members Sweden and Finland. 

With the war in Ukraine affecting current economic and security situations in 2022-2024 Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) welcomed its two newest members, Finland and Sweden, both Arctic nations. Finland became a member of NATO on 4 April 2023. Sweden joined NATO on 7 March 2024.

NATO’s European members and when they joined the NATO alliance. Source: Wikipedia

I sent a media inquiry to the USCG’s Headquarters, Public Affairs Office, Washington D.C., asking how Sweden and Finland becoming NATO’s newest members might influence the U.S. Coast Guard in terms of icebreaking, cutter designs, exercises, training, enforcement, and maritime security.

The USCG replied, “From a regional perspective, this will increase cooperation and improve interoperability.  Information sharing, exercises, and operations will be much easier to coordinate with all the Nordics now in NATO.”

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Arthur Flaherty, a boatswain’s mate assigned to the USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753), prepares to transfer Hamilton crewmembers onto the Swedish Coast Guard vessel Amfitrite in the Baltic Sea, Oct. 31, 2022. Hamilton was on deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alejandro Rivera)

The United States Coast Guard has a history of visiting and working with partner Baltic nations to improve relationships, training, interoperability, communications, intelligence, and coordination. Even before they entered NATO the US Coast Guard had a long-standing relationship with Sweden and Finland through the Arctic Coast Guard Forum.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Tanya Kuprak, engineering officer aboard USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753), gives a tour of the engine room to Swedish Coast Guard members while underway in the Baltic Sea, Oct. 30, 2022. Hamilton was deployed with U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Sixth Fleet. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alejandro Rivera)

Recent interactions include:

• USCGC Hamilton’s visti to Turku, Finland, on November 5, 2022
• The USCGC Eagle’s visit to Helsinki, Finland, on June 1-4, 2023

United States’ relationship with Finland has benefitted in the area of model testing and consulting on the current Great Lakes icebreaker, Mackinaw, regarding its design and Azipod propulsion.