Allied Forces Baltic Approaches

Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) was a Principal Subordinate Command (PSC) of the NATO Military Command Structure, with responsibility for the Baltic Sea area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002 and consisted of the Danish Armed Forces, units of the West German Bundeswehr and allied wartime reinforcements.

The NATO command Baltic Approaches was created on 8 January 1962, with headquarters in Karup, Denmark. It was created at Germany's urging, in order to end the previous separation of the German naval forces between the NATO commands Northern Europe and Central Europe. After the changes in the international security situation in 1990, the command was restructured in 1993 and deactivated in 2002.

The area of responsibility of BALTAP comprised the territory of Denmark (without Greenland and the Faroe Islands), the German states Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein and the eastern North Sea, the Baltic approaches with Skagerrak, Kattegat, the Danish straits, and the Baltic Sea. One peculiarity was the responsibility for air defence over the German part of the BALTAP area. Until 1990, the western Allies were responsible for air defence over the whole Federal Republic of Germany on the basis of the occupation statute. After France had withdrawn from the integrated military structure of the alliance, this task was undertaken by the United States and the United Kingdom. The Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF) was responsible for the area of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, and was led by a British officer from RAF Germany, with headquarters in Mönchengladbach.

BALTAP was led by a Danish officer with the rank of a Lieutenant General or a Vice Admiral, who had the designation Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (COMBALTAP). His deputy was a German officer of the same rank. From 1962 to 1993, COMBALTAP was under the NATO command Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) in Kolsås outside Oslo in Norway. After a change in the NATO structure, it was placed under Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) on 1 October 1993. For the operational command of the air and sea forces, a partial assignment of these forces to Allied Forces Northwestern Europe (AFNORTHWEST) with its component commands AIRNORTHWEST and NAVNORTHWEST was made.

In case of war, COMBALTAP would have had to lead the NATO forces assigned to it. According to plans, all Danish forces with the exception of some units in the outer regions were to be placed under COMBALTAP. Germany had provided for its land and air forces stationed in the BALTAP area, and its entire naval and naval air forces, to be subordinated to COMBALTAP. In addition, external reinforcements from the United States and Britain (UK Mobile Force, primarily 1st Infantry Brigade) were planned.

1962 to 1993

The structure that was brought into being with the creation of BALTAP remained with few changes from 1962 to 1994. During this time, BALTAP comprised 4 subordinate commands:

* Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (COMLANDJUT) in Rendsburg
* Commander, Allied Land Forces in Zealand (COMLANDZEALAND) in Ringsted
* Commander, Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (COMAIRBALTAP) in Karup
* Commander, Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (COMNAVBALTAP) in Karup

Structure in 1989

Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland

LANDJUT was tasked with defending the Jutland peninsula. Holding Jutland was crucial for the mission of NAVBALTAP to keep the Danish Straits blocked and thus prevent the Soviet Baltic Fleet from breaking out into the North Sea. In case the Jutland peninsula would fall into Soviet hands, the LANDZEALAND units defending the Danish Isles would have been dangerously flanked. Therefore, LANDJUT was to be reinforced at the earliest with British and American troops to ensure that advancing Soviet forces would be prevented from crossing the Kiel Canal and Eider river.

British and American formations earmarked to reinforce LANDJUT included the British 1st Infantry Brigade and the American 9th Infantry Division. British infantry battalions and armoured regiments rotated every two years or so; thus locations are shown, but no unit identities.

* Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland, Rendsburg, commanded by a Danish or German lieutenant general:
** 610th Signal Battalion, Rendsburg
** 2nd Signal Battalion, Tønder
** Corps Artillery
*** HQ-Staff Battery, Flensburg
*** 33rd Artillery Battalion, Skive, Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment (24x M59 155 mm gun)
*** 650th Rocket Artillery Battalion, Flensburg, (4x Lance missile launcher)
*** 610th Security Battalion (Reserve), Flensburg
*** 611th Nuclear Weapons Supply Company, Flensburg
** 600th Air Defence Regiment, Rendsburg
*** Staff Company, 600th Air Defence Regiment, Rendsburg
*** 610th Air Defence Battalion, Rendsburg, (18x Roland missile systems mounted Marder 1, 108 FIM-43 Redeye launchers)
*** 620th Air Defence Battalion (Reserve), Rendsburg, (18x Gepard, 108 FIM-43 Redeye launchers)
*** 630th Air Defence Battalion (Reserve), Rendsburg, (24x Bofors 40L70)
** Jutland Battle Group (Reserve), Holstebro