BALTIC SEA (June 4, 2023) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), front, and the Royal Netherlands Navy mine countermeasures vessel HNLMS Vlaardingen (M863), top back, steam alongside NATO and Swedish navy ships after departing Tallinn, Estonia, June 4, 2023, to participate in exercise Baltic Operations 2023 (BALTOPS 23). BALTOPS 23 is the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region. The exercise, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO provides a unique training opportunity to strengthen the combined response capability critical to preserving the freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of the Royal Netherlands Air Force by OR-7 Aaron Zwaal)