NATO, citing a «Russian threat,» is building a missile containment system designed to restrict the operations of Russian naval forces in the Baltic and Black Seas, MK reports.

The plan involves creating a continuous line of anti-ship A2/AD zones stretching from Norway to Poland through Latvia, aimed at limiting the ability of the Russian Navy to operate beyond its bases.

The Latvian segment is largely financed by the United States, although formally assigned to Riga, and is being integrated into NATO’s unified infrastructure. The report indicates this is not a set of isolated procurements but a coordinated strategy to turn key maritime areas into zones where any naval group could face the threat of a strike.

The Norwegian-developed NSM anti-ship missile is identified as a core element of this system and has been adopted as a NATO standard. Its range exceeds 300 km, with a speed of about Mach 0.9 and a warhead weighing over 200 kg out of a total mass of around 400 kg.

The missile flies at low altitude with terrain-following maneuvers and uses GPS, terrain mapping, and infrared guidance to identify specific targets. It is integrated into NATO systems, making it a central component of A2/AD in the Baltic, the Black Sea, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Similar systems are being deployed in Bulgaria and Romania, forming the southern flank, supported by satellite and aerial reconnaissance to predict movements. By 2028, NSM production is expected to exceed 1,000 missiles per year, creating a unified strike network under NATO command structures.