Germany’s elite GSG 9 tasked with guarding Baltic infrastructure
German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser has outlined a new mission for the GSG 9 special police forces. This counter-terrorism team will now protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The unit will be stationed in Neustadt, located in the coastal state of Schleswig-Holstein.
12 October 2024 09:12
GSG 9 of the Federal Police, part of the German Federal Border Guard and renowned as one of the world's top counter-terrorism units, will now be tasked with protecting the Baltic Sea's waters. The news of this mission, which focuses on monitoring critical Baltic infrastructure, was reported by ARD.
This decision was made by the German Ministry of the Interior and was announced by the department head, Nancy Faeser.
The new mission of the German super agents: GSG 9 moves to the Baltic Sea
Thus, GSG 9 will establish a third location. Since the inception of these German special forces in 1972, the headquarters has been in St. Augustin, near Bonn. For several years, a separate operational unit has also been stationed in Berlin.
The marine department of the German federal police in Neustadt will now operate in Schleswig-Holstein, within the town of Neustadt. The department's duties will be expanded, involving new responsibilities focused on threats at sea.
According to ARD, the emphasis is on protecting critical infrastructure and countering potential terrorist threats. The units will be equipped and prepared to counter terrorist attacks on maritime assets.
GSG 9 agents will be able to respond more swiftly to operations in northern Germany. Until now, their primary task involved combating Islamist and right-wing terrorism and serious organized crime, such as smuggling.
The broadened scope of tasks will now also cover sensitive internal sectors. As ARD mentions, the new duties of GSG 9 will involve counter-diversionary actions.
The vulnerability of critical infrastructure at sea became evident with the Nord Stream gas pipeline attack in September 2022. While the circumstances of this incident remain unclear, there is little doubt of sabotage. The federal prosecutor's investigation into this case is still ongoing.
The new base of operations in Neustadt will be prepared for various operational sea-related situations, enabling GSG 9 agents to arrive at incidents more rapidly.
Final financial details are yet to be resolved, but the political decision has already been made by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
