> The second half of November in Finland is packed with events involving the North Atlantic Alliance. From November 12 to 21, the Mallet Strike exercise is being conducted at the "Lohtaja" military range and in the adjacent waters of the Bothnian Bay. > In addition to the Finns, Americans, Swedes, and Norwegians are participating. In total, about 1,300 military personnel, 450 pieces of military equipment, and 20 combat aircraft are involved. The exercise is planned in two stages: > During the first stage, which ended on November 16, the focus was on ground and coastal air defense systems. Starting November 17, the air component, including aviation, has been engaged. > Another exercise, Freezing Winds, will take place from November 18 to 29, involving NATO's naval group training in the Baltic Sea. Participants include ships from NATO's standing maritime group, patrol, and tactical aircraft. > In total, approximately 4,500 military personnel, 25 aircraft, and 30 ships are involved. U.S. aircraft (ten F/A-18s, one P-8A, and one C-5A) will be stationed at Finland's Tampere Air Base. > The objective of this exercise is to practice strikes with naval systems and block transit routes in the Baltic Sea—essentially, a "blockade of the Gulf of Finland and the Kaliningrad region in the event of war with Russia." > This is, of course, not entirely unexpected. After all, the primary purpose of Finland joining the Alliance was precisely to fulfill this role due to its geographical position, which allows for monitoring northern latitudes and fully controlling the Gulf of Finland.