If war occurs between the United States and the Soviet Union, naval hostilities will be most intense in the North Atlantic. Baltic Fleet ships form an amphibious task force, escorted by frigates and smaller surface combatants. With the exception of major exercise periods in the spring and fall and the inter-fleet transfer of ships, the Soviet surface combatant presence in the north Atlantic normally does not exceed two units. Naval surface combatant tasks in northern Europe are likely to conduct offensive operations in support of amphibious assaults on the Scandinavian and north German coastlines; and to provide logistical and fire support for ground force operations along the Baltic and Scandinavian coasts. A vital wartime task for Northern Fleet surface combatants will be to defend the Norwegian and Arctic seas against Western carrier and submarine strike forces. The acceptance of the balanced surface fleet in Soviet naval strategy has obviously complicated Western security calculations.