A third mine countermeasures ship is expected to be delivered to the Lithuanian armed forces until the end of next year, according to the plans presented on March 31 by the commanders of the Baltic and Polish navies.
“With a third ship, the Lithuanian Navy will be able to fully meet NATO’s mine clearance objectives and tasks,” Lithuanian Navy Commander Giedrius Premeneckas told reporters in Klaipeda.
The purchase was not linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine, as Poland was also strengthening its fleet, Premeneckas said.
“Acquisitions aimed at bolstering the Lithuanian military are long-term processes. The strengthening of the port and coastal defense, as well as the strengthening of the navy’s mine clearance capabilities, were foreseen in Lithuania’s plans,” the commander said.
The exact date when the ship will arrive in Klaipeda is unclear, but the preliminary date is the end of 2023 or early 2024, he added.
“The ship is being completely refitted according to our needs, reactivated with new equipment, new systems. It is not a new ship under construction,” Premeneckas said.
The ship will be assembled in the United Kingdom, using the hull of an older ship.
For the first time, the commander of the Polish Navy has been invited to the annual conference. He also reported on the expansion of the country’s navy.
The meeting of the Baltic commanders aims to synchronize joint action, mandates and plans.
The Baltic Navies are planning their annual exercise Open Spirit in the near future. The mine clearance exercise involves searching, locating and destroying munitions left on the seabed after the First World War. This year will also see a major NATO ship exercise, Baltops, led by the US Navy. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
