This document provides an overview of the VAL-77 Warsaw Pact military exercise. Conducted in June and July 1977, the exercise simulated a joint seizure of the Baltic Straits region in order to provide practical operational experience and to improve coordination between ground, naval, and air forces. The exercise is predicated on a hypothetical scenario in which the "Westerners" initiate hostilities toward the "Easterners," prompting the Warsaw Pact allies to respond with force.