GSG 9 takes on critical Baltic Sea protection mission
German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser has set a new mission for the GSG 9 special police forces. Representatives from this counter-terrorism team will now be responsible for protecting critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The unit will be stationed in the city of Neustadt, located in the coastal state of Schleswig-Holstein.
The GSG 9 of the Federal Police, recognized as one of the world's premier counter-terrorism units, will take on the task of safeguarding the waters of the Baltic Sea. This new mission, focusing on monitoring critical Baltic infrastructure, was reported by ARD.
The German Ministry of the Interior made this decision, as announced by the department head, Nancy Faeser.
The new mission of German super agents: GSG 9 moves to the waters of the Baltic Sea
With this change, GSG 9 will establish a third location. Since the inception of these German special forces in 1972, the headquarters have been situated in St. Augustin near Bonn. Additionally, a separate operational unit has been based in Berlin for several years.
The marine department of the German federal police in Neustadt will now function out of Schleswig-Holstein, in the town of Neustadt. The scope of the service's duties will expand; the new responsibilities will address threats at sea.
According to ARD, the focus is on protecting critical infrastructure and countering potential terrorist threats. The units will be equipped to thwart terrorist attacks on maritime assets.
The GSG 9 agents will gain the capability to respond more swiftly to operations in northern Germany. To date, their chief tasks have included combating Islamist and right-wing terrorism, as well as tackling serious organized crime, such as smuggling.
The expanded range of tasks will now encompass certain sensitive internal sectors. As noted by ARD, the new duties of GSG 9 will incorporate counter-diversionary actions.
The vulnerability of critical infrastructure at sea was highlighted by the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline in September 2022. Although the incident's circumstances remain unclear, sabotage is evident. The federal prosecutor's investigation into this case is still ongoing.
The new base in Neustadt will be adequately prepared to handle various operational situations at sea, enabling GSG 9 agents to respond more quickly.
Though the final financial details need further clarification, the political decision on this matter has already been made by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
